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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Regarding the services of the Designated Clinics and the Special Assessment Centres, a Hospital Authority spokesperson provided the following updates today (January 16):
The Designated Clinics today (as at 5pm) provided initial assessment to 38 patients. Patients who require further assessment and treatment have been referred to the Special Assessment Centres (SACs). The assessment centres attended to 150 patients today. A total of 55,649 attendances and 26,492 assessments have been reported at the Designated Clinics and SACs respectively since they began operations on September 23, 2008.
The clinics and SACs will be in operation for at least six months and as long as there is demand for the service. Children who could not be assessed at the Designated Clinics on the same day of attendance will be given the earliest possible appointment in the following days. In the coming three days, a total of around 30 appointments have already been made at the Designated Clinics.
As of today, the Hospital Authority has reported 13 cases of renal problems suspected to be related to the consumption of melamine tainted milk products.
The Hospital Authority said that the free screening service was a contingency arrangement with its prime focus on local children who had an "eligible person" status. Other patients will be referred to private healthcare providers to reserve adequate capacity for locals.
Ends/Friday, January 16, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:31
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