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The Social Welfare Department today (April 30) wrote to welfare service units on the allocation of $10 million for stepping up cleanliness and precautionary measures against human swine influenza.
A spokesman for the department said, ˇ§By means of additional resources, we would like to encourage welfare service units to provide a cleaner and safer environment for the elderly, young children and other service users as well as the carers looking after them, when the risk of human swine influenza outbreak is on the increase.ˇ¨
The grant will cover over 3,000 welfare service units, including residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities, day care centres for the elderly, child care centres, integrated children and youth services centres, etc.
Each welfare service unit will receive materials, or $3,000 for the purpose of purchasing cleansing and disinfectant items.
"We have attached great importance to the prevention of human swine influenza outbreak at welfare service units and have been working closely with the Centre for Health Protection.ˇ¨
"We will consider providing additional support and resources if the situation warrants,ˇ¨ the spokesman added.
The department will inform welfare service units of implementation details early next week for allocation of resources.
Ends/Thursday, April 30, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:29
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