Message from the Chairman

Speech by Mr. Lam Kwok Hing
Chairman of the 59th Board of Directors (2008-2009)

The Hon. Mr. T S Tsang, JP, the Hon Dr. York Y N Chow, SBS, JP, the Hon Mr. Matthew K C Cheung, GBS, JP, Mr. Anthony T Y Wu, JP, Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is the inauguration ceremony of the 59th Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital (“Hospital”). We are most honoured to have the Hon Mr. T S Tsang, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs, to administer the oath; the Hon Dr. Y N Chow, SBS, JP, Secretary for Food and Health, the Hon Mr. Matthew K C Cheung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, and Mr. Anthony T Y Wu, JP, Chairman of the Hospital Authority to officiate the ceremony. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I express my highest gratitude to our honorable guests and to you for your gracious presence.

I am deeply honoured to be elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and must thank you for your support and trust. The Hospital has grown with time through the excellent foster efforts of the past Boards of Directors over the past years. My fellow Members and I are fully committed to foster and further develop the multi-facet services of the Hospital for the community. My fellow Members and I will upkeep our longstanding motto “we love, we care, we serve” in delivering services.

Hospital Service
The redevelopment and expansion of Pok Oi Hospital was completed last year, and we were greatly honoured to have the Honourable Donald Tsang Yam Kuen, GBM, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region to officiate the Grand Opening ceremony. The Hospital has resumed the operation of the 24-hour accident and emergency service. The new hospital is using its newly built facilities to provide modern and quality medical service for residents of the New Territories West. In alignment with the development of the New Territories West Cluster of hospitals, the new hospital adopts a phased approach for service commencements. Apart from more acute beds and an operating theatre will be put into operation, the new hospital will closely monitor population growth and needs of patients in Yung Long and Tin Shui Wai, and prioritize new services to satisfy demands of the local community in line with the spirit of “we love, we care, we serve”.

Chinese Medicine Service
The public demand for Chinese medicine service has been increasing over the years. The Hospital has long been providing quality professional service at an affordably low price. Our Chinese medicine service is warming received by the public. In this light, the Hospital is focusing on the development of Chinese medicine service this year. The target is to raise the service output by 25%, increasing the number of patients from 110,000 to 140,000.

Starting from 2006, the Hospital launched two Chinese Medicine Mobile Clinics to provide free consultation to the under-privileged and elderly living in remote villages. Four more Chinese Medicine Mobile Clinics commenced service last year. As we received positive feedback from patients, the Hospital will launch at least two more Chinese Medicine Mobile Clinics to meet the demand this year. At least eight Chinese Medicine Mobile Clinics will be serving the needy in remote villages and at housing estates in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories.

Further, we will foster our partnership with the Hospital Authority and the Chinese University of Hong Kong by operating another Chinese Medicine Polyclinic cum Chinese Medicine Training and Research Centre. The new centre at Shatin will commence service in the first quarter of 2009, aiming to benefit more patients and enhance teaching and research of Chinese medicine.

The Hospital is exploring suitable site at urban Hong Kong or Kowloon to operate a specialist Chinese medicine clinic. The clinic, to be manned by professors and specialists, will provide service to patients in need of specialist medical care.

Education Service
Our primary, secondary schools and kindergartens will focus on enhancing curriculum development in collaboration with universities. The objective is to further develop teaching skills of teachers, enhancing academic performance of students, and raising service standards as a whole. At the same time, we will further enhance learning environment at schools, so as to enable students progressing for a solid foundation of language development. We will also enhance home-school co-operation, and strengthen collaboration with local community and neighbouring schools. By hosting seminars and talks, we will be able to achieve a closer relationship and better communication so as to work together for the benefits of students.

Social Service
The Hospital will further strengthen women service. We are most grateful to Wai Yin Association for their generous donation to sponsor our “Beautiful Life Women Project” and naming our Chang Hang Family Multiple Intelligences Centre. The new project provides a platform for women in the community to enhance social and supporting network, living skills and confidence. The new service will be commenced this May targeting at middle aged women in Tsing Yi, and will provide them with social, health and psychological support.

The Hospital will operate a new Caring and Social Inclusion Centre at Cheung Wah Estate in Fanling. The centre will serve low income group by providing training and counseling service to equip them with employment capability. The trainees will provide cleansing and maintenance services for elderly and their family in local area. The objective is to enhance an inclusion and neighbourhood mutual help community.

The Hospital is exploring suitable site to increase residential home service for the elderly. The residential home aims to help relieve problem faced by an ageing population by providing a quality home care service for elders.

Furthermore, the Hospital will allocate more resources to Tin Shui Wai to express our care and concern for this community.

At present, the Hospital has seven service units in Tin Shui Wai, including elderly and children services, cyber service and Chinese Medicine service. We will not only foster the existing services, but will also inject additional resources to satisfy local needs. We are mobilizing our Chinese Medicine Mobile Clinic, which provides free consultation service to serve needy patients in Tin Shui Wai. About 7,500 patients will benefit from this service in a year, and we will review the service need in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, our Chinese Medicine Polyclinic at Tin Wah Estate will continue to provide Chinese medicine service at half or special price (for as low as $10 per treatment including medicine) to Comprehensive Social Security Assistance receipts and elders. About 10,000 patients will benefit from this service this year.

The Hospital wishes to express our gratitude to the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund for sponsoring our “Hands in Hands Healthy Community Mutual Help Project” for a period of three years. The project aims at weaving a social and neighbouring network for women in Tin Shui Wai, and enhancing their self-help and employment capability. The service will be commenced from this July at our Mr. Ng Hung Mow Memorial Family Multiple Intelligences Centre to help promote a harmonious society in the area. Further, the Hospital is fully committed to assist the “Yuen Long Healthy City” project initiated by the Yuen Long District Office. The project will encourage residents in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai to build up a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their families. The ultimate aim is to build up a healthy, harmonious and inclusion community.

Moreover, we are looking for a suitable site in Tin Shui Wai North to operate a new Family Multiple Intelligences Centre to serve primary school students after schools when their working parents are still working and cannot take care of them at home. The new centre will also provide cultural and educational activities to foster a good relationship among family members.

Promotion and Fundraising activities
While we recognizes the importance of providing needed services to the society, the Hospital feels duty bound to promote the message of loving and caring for the community. Thus, we will promote this spirit of Pok Oi Hospital to the general public while holding fundraising activities.

This year, we will focus our fundraising activities to promote spirit of youth and vitality.
(1) the Hospital will organize fundraising activities that can be participated by all walks of life. Through sports and games, we can promote a healthy, energetic and environmental friendly lifestyle. These types of events provide a platform for them to take part in community service, and to show their love and care for the needy.
(2) We will draw on the young generation to take part in philanthropic events by hosting different types of activities. We hope that they will recognize the importance of community service, and to show their care and responsibility towards the society.
(3) We will also draw on young entrepreneurs and professionals by organizing competition, as a means to attract them joining and supporting community service.

We will add new elements to foster the effectiveness of regular fundraising activities, such as Pok Oi Cheering Golf, Pok Oi Charity Racing Cup, Charity Annual Ball, and the Pok Oi Month activities for housing estates all over Hong Kong.

Every year, we need to host fundraising events to raise sufficient revenue for the necessary expenses of medical, education and social services. We manage to do this through the participation and staunch support of the Board of Directors. The Hospital is exploring the feasibility of developing a land lot for operating community service that is needed by the society. This is in addition to the original proposal of building an administration building on the land lot. We wish to make the best use of the available land, and generate additional and steady revenue for expanding philanthropic service for the under-privileged. We will report the progress to government officials and community leaders, and is eager to receive valuable advice and support for the project.

Conclusion
The effort of a single organization is limited. But if our effort could have the response and support of others, it will have a great impact to make a loving and harmonious society. The Hospital is eager to collaborate and exchange views with government departments, other philanthropy bodies, community leaders and donors so as to enhance the efficacy of our limited resources in serving the under-privileged. I believe the target of a civilized society is to help all needy and the poor, so as to provide them with a comfortable living. The Hospital, under the lead and guidance of the government, is most willing to help build a harmonious and inclusion society.

I humbly hope that through our medical, education and social services, as well as the promotion and fundraising activities, the Hospital can bring a message to the public on love and care for the community. We hope that the public will respond to the message and support community work. I am confident to have the staunch support from my fellow Members and work hand in hand to meet the challenges ahead. We will upkeep the motto “we love, we care, we serve” to service the community and promote the loving, caring and serving spirit of Pok Oi, so as to achieve an inclusion and harmonious society for the betterment of Hong Kong. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much.