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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said today (March 18) that the Government was committed to enhancing rehabilitation services for the disabled, with nearly 3,000 new subsidised residential places, pre-school service places and day training and vocational rehabilitation places coming on stream within these two years.
These include new places offered by the newly opened Po Leung Kuk Kwai Chung Integrated Rehabilitation Centre, which provides more than 300 residential places and over 200 day training places for persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Po Leung Kuk Kwai Chung Integrated Rehabilitation Centre today, Mr Cheung described the centre as "a flagship project" of its kind.
Stressing the Government's clear goal and determination in increasing rehabilitation service places, Mr Cheung said: "Coupled with the recurrent funding earmarked earlier, the Government will provide a total of 1,046 residential care places, 926 places for pre-school services and 986 places for day training and vocational rehabilitation services in the current and coming financial years.
"We will also expand available choices and supply through the 'Pilot Bought Place Scheme for Private Residential Care Homes'," he added.
Mr Cheung said that apart from increasing the provision of residential places, the Government also attached great importance to supporting those living in the community. This included the earmarking of more than $900 million in the new financial year to raise the cash assistance for the elderly, persons with disabilities and persons in ill-health under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme. A $160 million Pilot Scheme on Home Care Service for Persons with Severe Disabilities funded by the Social Welfare Department was also launched this month.
Mr Cheung added that government recurrent expenditure on rehabilitation services under the welfare portfolio has increased from the 2010-11 level by nearly 10% to $3.7 billion in 2011-12, representing an increase of more than 46% over the $2.5 billion a decade ago (2001-02).
Taking into account the services provided to persons with disabilities across various policy areas (including labour and welfare, education, health and transport), total government resources dedicated to rehabilitation services will amount to a hefty $21.4 billion in 2011-12.
Ends/Friday, March 18, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:45
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