ýÿThe Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre and the temporary Shek Kip Mei General Out-patient Clinic (temporary clinic) this morning (September 27) to get a better grasp of the redevelopment details of the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre and the setting up of a temporary clinic in the district in the light of such redevelopment. 

     Accompanied by the Director (Quality and Safety) of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Michael Wong, the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon West Cluster of the HA, Dr Alexander Law, and representatives from the Architectural Services Department, Professor Lo started the visit at the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre where he received an introduction on redevelopment details.

     Located at Berwick Street, the facilities of the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre are in a state of dilapidation after having been in service for over 60 years. Taking into account the ageing and growing population, the Government expects a mounting demand for primary healthcare services by the Sham Shui Po community. In this connection, the Health Bureau (HHB) plans to demolish the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre and develop in-situ a Community Health Centre (CHC) building. Apart from the HA's CHC which will also provide general out-patient services, the proposed building will at the same time house several facilities of the Department of Health, including a chest clinic, a maternal and child health centre as well as a dermatological clinic.

     Professor Lo then proceeded to visit the temporary clinic at Mei Hei House in Shek Kip Mei Estate to learn about the relocation arrangement of general out-patient services originally provided at the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre to the present site and the operation of the temporary clinic.

     "The proposed CHC building will serve members of the public with diversified primary healthcare and nursing services at one single location by consolidating public primary healthcare service facilities in the district. Upon commissioning of the building, we will increase the quotas of general out-patient services in phases, with an expectation of some 154 000 additional quotas at maximum each year. The redevelopment has secured support from the Sham Shui Po District Council last year. The HHB is working to seek funding approval from the Legislative Council as early as possible, with a view to commencing the construction works at the earliest instance," Professor Lo said. 

     "The temporary clinic set up by the HA came into service at the beginning of this year. With this transitional arrangement, it is aimed that provision of appropriate and coherent primary healthcare services can be continued for patients in the district before the commissioning of the proposed Shek Kip Mei CHC." 

Ends/Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Issued at HKT 14:48

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