Jockey Club helps fund redevelopment of Caritas Medical Centre

03/03/2016

Today (3 March) saw the opening of the new Wai Ming Block, part of the Phase II redevelopment of the Caritas Medical Centre to meet ever-rising demand in Sham Shui Po. Funded with the support of a HK$40 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the redevelopment will improve medical services and the overall hospital environment at the Centre. 

Officiating at the grand opening were Club Steward Michael T H Lee, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam, Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man, and Chairman of the Hospital Authority Professor John Leong.

Besides the construction of this new block, Phase II has also involved the demolition of four buildings and the refurbishment of the Wai Oi Block, all with the aim of realigning the ambulatory care, rehabilitation and supporting services housed there.

The Caritas Medical Centre, now over 50 years old, mainly serves the elderly, lower-income groups and new immigrants. In 1997, the Trust donated HK$16 million for Phase I of its redevelopment. 

The newly-constructed Wai Ming Block, providing some 54,500 square metres of hospital space, offers integrated health services including medical social work, physiotherapy, radiology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, clinical psychology, prosthetics and orthotics. Modern facilities such as day surgery and procedures wards with an associated pre-admission clinic are also provided, as well as operating theatres, a geriatric day hospital and a patient resource centre. In total there are 260 rehabilitation and convalescent beds.

The refurbished Wai Oi Block offers holistic facilities ranging from tele-health and specialist nurses to community nursing services and a training and conference centre. There is also a Red Cross school and a library to meet patients’ educational needs.

The Club has been a staunch supporter of Hong Kong’s medical development since the 1950s, when it funded the provision of public clinics and health centres across the city. In 2003 it supported the establishment of the Centre for Health Protection in response to the SARS outbreak, as a means of helping Hong Kong prevent and fight future epidemics. Last year, the Trust donated HK$1.3 billion to The Chinese University of Hong Kong to help establish a teaching hospital, which will benefit all Hong Kong residents, and in particular the sandwich class.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2014/15, its donations reached a record HK$3.87 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,300 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$20.05 billion in 2014/15. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,000 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.