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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said today (May 8) that the Government's provision for various services and support for persons with disabilities for this financial year reached $19.2 billion.
Up to 99% of the allocation is recurrent funding, representing 8% of the total recurrent expenditure of the Government.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Jockey Club New Page Inn of the SAHK, a provider of rehabilitation services to the disabled, Mr Cheung said that the Labour and Welfare Bureau would provide an additional 671 residential care places and 480 day care places to help persons with disabilities to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest.
"To meet the above service targets, we plan to convert two Government properties, the former South Kwai Chung Jockey Club Polyclinic and the former Ma Tau Wai Girls' Home in Ho Man Tin, into integrated rehabilitation service centres. The two centres will provide 490 residential places and 450 day training or vocational rehabilitation service places, representing 73% and 93% of the targets for this year respectively.
"We will continue to identify other suitable premises for the provision of subsidised residential care places," Mr Cheung said.
He stressed that the Bureau would consult the Legislative Council's Panel on Welfare Services on the proposed projects next Monday, to be followed by application to the Finance Committee for funding. He said he hoped that the tendering and construction of both projects would begin as soon as possible.
"A majority of persons with disabilities receive different kinds of day training, vocational rehabilitation and community support services while waiting for residential places. These services not only allow them to stay in the community under care in the interim, but also relieve the stress of their carers.
"To this end, 16 district support centres have come into operation starting January this year to provide one-stop home-based training and support services for persons with disabilities as well as their family members. The first integrated community centre for mental wellness in Tin Shui Wai has also come into operation in March this year," he said.
The New Page Inn provides transitional residential and targeted rehabilitation services for quadriplegic persons discharged from hospitals. Mr Cheung thanked the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for their generous donation of more than $49 million in subsidising the fitting-out works and operating expenses of the Inn for the first five years. He also commended the service provider, the SAHK, for actively promoting rehabilitation services in Hong Kong.
Ends/Friday, May 8, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:00
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