Press Releases

Five-year Rehabilitation Programme Plan released

The Government today (Wednesday) released a new programme plan on rehabilitation services for people with disabilities for the next five years.
Entitled "Hong Kong Rehabilitation Programme Plan (1998-99 to 2002-03) - Towards a New Rehabilitation Era", the plan presents a comprehensive picture of the current and planned provision and demand of various rehabilitation services. It also provides a useful reference for relevant government departments and service providers to plan and develop their services in meeting demands in the next five years.

A spokesman for the Health and Welfare Bureau said, "The new Plan is based on the outcome of a review conducted by a committee chaired by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation with representatives from government departments, the Hospital Authority, the Vocational Training Council and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

"The review, one of the policy commitments announced in the 1997 Policy Address, concluded that in the next five years, all service providers will continue to ensure that a continuum of care and support is provided to people with disabilities to facilitate their integration and participation in the community."
The Plan reports on the development of various rehabilitation services since the last review in 1994, and gives a projection on the supply and demand of these services up to March 2003 based on the approved projects in the pipeline.
"To meet future demands, the Administration has already earmarked resources to provide over 4 000 additional day and residential places in the next few years," the spokesman said.

In addition, the Plan has also identified about 100 issues that require further study by various parties concerned before the next review is due in 2002. These include recommendations to further improve rehabilitation services and requests or proposals from the non-governmental sector which the Government and statutory bodies have not been able to implement or commit due to policy or resources considerations.

Dr Raymond Wu, Chairman of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee, welcomed the publication of the Plan and paid tribute to the joint efforts and collaboration made by the Government and non-governmental sector in the review.
The Plan is obtainable from the Health and Welfare Bureau on 20/F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central. It is also available on the homepage of the Health and Welfare Bureau at http://www.info.gov.hk/hwb/.
End/Wednesday, September 1, 1999
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