Newsletter No. 179

2 No. 179 4th March 2001 CUHK Newsletter University Health Service Complete Face Lift and All-out Computerization V ery soon, getting sick may have its cheerful side, because it w i l l mean a trip to the brand new University Health Centre. From now until September, the centre will undergo major renovations. Everything from water pipes, partitioning, air- conditioning, furniture, to the appointments and the calling systems wi ll be new. The new centre promises a far more modern and user-friendly experience. You w i l l be welcomed by an airy cathedral ceiling right at the entrance. The waiting area w i l l be more comfortable, and the furniture, more uplifting. You won't have towait outside the consultation room, and therewon't be nurses to shout out your name anymore. Everything w i ll be shown on a display panel. The pilgrimage along thegloomy corridor to the consultation and physiotherapy rooms w i l l be gone; therooms w i ll only be a few well-lit steps away. Visitors with physical handicap or leginjuries w i ll have the option of taking the l i ft to the dental clinic or seminar roomon the first floor. Acco r d i ng to Dr. Kenneth Pang, director of the University Health Service (UHS), the University is allocating $1.5 mi l l i on to the UHS for the renovation project and the whole process is supervised by the Campus Development Office. Alongside this project, the UHS w i ll undergo computerization with the help of the I n f o rma t i on Management Un i t. Appointments, record-keeping, communication o f prescription from doctor to dispensary, now done manually, w i l l soon be only a few mouse-clicks and button-pushes away. The optical fibres w i l l be laid during the renovation. Dr. Pang hopes that by September, the first phase of computerization w i ll be complete, and users w i ll be able to make appointments online with the medical and dental clinics. There w i ll be a consultation process wherein a group of students and staff members w i l l be invited to try out the system and give feedback. There w i ll also be a trial period of three months to detect and f ix any bug that may arise. 'We hope to reassure members o f the University community that we w i l l pay close attention to how well the system is serving them every step o f the way ,' remarked Dr. Pang. The second phase of compu t e r i za t i on w i l l be concerned ma i n l y w i t h the c l i n i c ' s i n t e r n al communication, and the third, w i th the paramedical units such as the laboratory and the physiotherapy unit. A l l good things in life take time to materialize and classy new clinics are n excep t i on. Be tween Ma r ch and September, the UHS w i ll be relocated to Residence 1, next to the Ho Sin-Hang Engineering Building. According to Dr. Pang, intensive moving and setting up w i ll take place on 3rd and 4th March, and by 5th Ma r c h, the UHS w i l l beg in operation in its interim premises. 'The venue w i l l be narrower as i t was not designed to be a clinic, so i t ' ll take a bit of getting used to. We may not be able to catch up with our current workload in the first few days, and there w i ll probably be fewer outpatient cases. But everything should be back to normal by mid-week,' explained Dr. Pang. The same cannot be said of the dental clinic, however, because the seven dental chairs need to be dismantled, reinstalled, and rewired, wh i ch wou ld take some time. Moving and reinstalling the dental x-ray machine is also time-consuming as it involves the handling o f radioactive material, for which a government license is required. But by the t h i rd week o f March, the dental clinic, too, should be operating smoothly. 'Luckily for us, most dental cases are by appointment, so we shall entertain fewer of those. However, during the interim, we w i l l still entertain emergencies, even at the expense o f appointments made earlier,' Dr. Pang pointed out. So i f you are plagued by soul- wrenching toothaches or other serious oral problems, have no qualms about heading down to Residence 1. The task of moving to Residence 1 and back, and the computerization project require the contribution by the UHS o f over $1.1 million from savings of its one- line budget. When the UHS moves back to its renovated original home in September, the whole process repeats itself of course. I f you get sick this September, or even i f y ou don ' t, make a t r i p t o the new University Health Centre. You w i l l be greeted by the same old friendly faces in a fresh new environment. Piera Chen Servic e t oth eCommunit y an d Internationa l Organization s • Prof. Fanny Cheung, professor in the Department of Psychology, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Women's Commission for three years from 15th January 2001. • Prof. Charles Kao Kuen, honorary professor of engineering, has been re-appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the University Grants Committee from 1st April 2001 to 31st March 2003. • Prof. Daniel Shek Tan-lei, professor in the Department of Social Work, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of Action Committee Against Narcotics for two years from 1st January 2001. He has also been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Independent Police Complaints Council from 1st January 2001 to 31st December 2002. • Prof. Kenneth Lee Kwing-chin, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Action Committee Against Narcotics for two years from 1 st January 2001. • Prof. Japhet Law, professor in the Department of Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for Economic Services as a member of the Management Committee of the Consumer Legal Action Fund for two years from 6th December 2000. He has also been re-appointed by the Chief Executive of the HK S AR as a member of the Licensing Appeals Board under Section 125A(2) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance for one year from 1st January 2001. • Prof. Jeffrey Cody, associate professor in the Department of Architecture, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board from 1st January 2001 to 31st December 2002. • Prof. Lee Shiu-hung, honorary professor of community medicine, has been re-appointed as the chairman of the Action Committee Against Narcotics for two years from 1st January 2001. • Prof. David Tsang Sau-cheuk, professor in the Department of Biochemistry, has been re-appointed by the Commissioner for Narcotics as a member of the Action Committee Against Narcotics Sub-committee on Research for two years from 1st January 2001. • Prof. Lee Tak-shing, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, has been appointed as amember of the Action Committee Against Narcotics Sub-committee on Research for two years from 1st January 2001. • Prof. Liu Pak-wai, professor of economics, has been appointed by the Secretary for Education and Manpower as a member of the Skills Upgrading Scheme Steering Committee from 10th November 2000. • Prof. Wong Tze-wai, professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for the Environment and Food as a member of the Appeal Board Panel of the Appeal Board under the A ir Pollution Control Ordinance for three years from 1 st February 2001. • Prof. Lam Kin-che, professor in the Department of Geography, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for the Environment and Food as a member of the Appeal Board Panel of the Appeal Board under the Noise Control Ordinance for three years from 1st February 2001. • Prof. Lee Kam-hon, professor of marketing, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for the Environment and Food under Section 6 (4) of the Agricultural Product (Marketing) Ordinance, as a member of the Marketing Advisory Board for one year from 15th February 2001. • Prof. Ching Pak-chung, professor of electronic engineering, has been appointed as a member of the Consumer Council for two years from 1 st January 2001. He has also been re-appointed by the Secretary for Commerce and Industry as a member of the Electronics Projects Vetting Committee for the Innovation and Technology Support Programme for two years from 1 st January 2001. • Prof. Wong Chack Kie, professor in the Department of Social Work, has been appointed by the Secretary for Home Affairs as a council member of the Hong Kong Award for Young People for two years from 1st April 2001. • Prof. Albert Lee, associate professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine, has been appointed by the Curriculum Development Council as a member of the Curriculum Development Council Ad Hoc Committee on Moral and Civic Education from December 2000. He has also been appointed by the Curriculum Development Council as a co-opted member of the Committee on Physical Education from July 2000 until 31st August 2001. • Prof. Jack C . Y. Cheng, professor o f orthopaedics and traumatology, has been re-appointed as an honourable adviser to the Hong Kong Neuro-Muscular Disease Association from 1 st April 2001 to 31st March 2003. •Prof.Helen Chiu, professor in the Department of Psychiatry, has been re-appointed as president of the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists for two years from December 2000. • Prof. Chien Wai-tong, assistant professor in the Department of Nursing, has been appointed by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong as a member of the Working Group on Syllabus Review Registered Nurses (Psychiatric) from January 2001. He has also been appointed by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong as a co- opted member of the Psychiatric Nurse Examination Sub- committee for two years from 1st January 2001. • Prof. Alex L ui Chun-wan, professor in the Department o f Architecture, has been appointed by the Buildings Authority as a member of the Authorized Persons Registration Committee B for one year from 3rd January 2001. He has also been appointed by the Buildings Authority as a member of the Authorized Persons Registration Committees Panel for one year from 3rd January 2001. • Prof. Fok Tai-fai, professor of paediatrics, has been elected as a member of the Medical Council of Hong Kong for three years from 24th January 2001. • Prof. Joyce Ma Lai-chong, professor in the Department of Social Work, has been elected as a member of the Social Workers Registration Board from 16th January 2001 to 15th January 2004. She has also been appointed as a member of the Board of Assessors of the Journal of Family Therapy. • Prof. Lam Man-ping, professor in the Department of Education Psychology, has been appointed b y the Social Workers Registration Board as a member of the Disciplinary Committee Panel for a year from 16th January 2001. • Prof. Lo Lung-kwong, associate professor in the Theology Division, has been appointed by the Social Workers Registration Board as a member of the Disciplinary Committee Panel for a year from 16th January 2001. • Prof.Ronald Chung Chi-kit, associate professor in the Department of Automation and Computer-Aided Engineering, has been elected as president of the Queensway Junior Chamber Ltd. for a year from 1 st January 2001. • Ms. Amy Yui, director of administrative services, has been appointed as the secretary as well as a member of the Selection Panel for the Sanford Yung Scholars Programme for Excellence in Accounting Studies. • Dr. Tang Chung, director of the Centre for Chinese Archaeology and Art, has been appointed by the Sichuan University Museum as an honorary professor and as amember of the editorial committee of Southern Ethnology and Archaeology. He has also been appointed as an honorary research fellow in the Centre for Lingnan Archaeology of Zhongshan University for three years from 1st August 2000. • Prof. Tan Chee-beng, professor i n the Department o f Anthropology, has been appointed by the Quanzhou Maritime Museum as an honorary research fellow for a period of five years from November 2000. (Information in this section is provided by the Information and Public Relations Office. Contributions should be sent direct to that office for registration and verification before publication.)