A special ceremony was held today (22 February) to acknowledge the donation. Officiating at the ceremony were Professor Alfred Chan Cheung-ming, Chairman of the Elderly Commission; Mr Edwin Leong, Founder of Tai Hung Fai Charity Foundation; Professor Timothy W. Tong, PolyU President; and Professor Samantha Pang, Head of PolyU's School of Nursing.
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Tong expressed his heartfelt gratitude for Mr Edwin Leong's generosity and said, "PolyU is deeply honoured to enjoy unfailing support from Mr Leong who shares the same vision with the University in serving the community with professional knowledge. We believe that the Centre will make good use of the strengths of PolyU in health and social care, providing tailored service for the elderly in need."
Professor Alfred Chan said, "The 'PolyU – Henry G. Leong Mobile Integrative Health Centre' has supported our elderly in three aspects, namely services, research, and teaching and learning. The establishment of the Centre is in line with the Government's policy of promoting 'ageing in place as the core, institutional care as the back-up'. Through the Centre, PolyU's health and social care professionals take the initiatives in stepping into the community by offering comprehensive, convenient and free services to the needy elderly."
Mr Edwin Leong remarked, "The Centre is well recognised in the community as a pioneering primary health care service provider. A range of people-centred services are on offer that has greatly improved the well-being of the elderly, both physically and mentally.Through this mobile clinic, we hope the valuable medical resources could be used wisely."
Through the Tai Hung Fai Charity Foundation, Mr Edwin Leong supported the establishment of the "PolyU – Henry G. Leong Mobile Integrative Health Centre" in 2007. Equipped with a range of advanced facilities, the Centre is a modified truck providing free health checks and monitoring for needy elderly. Over the past years, the Centre has visited various districts in Hong Kong serving nearly 3,000 elderly, with a total number of over 27,000 visits from them.
The Centre also serves as a cross-disciplinary research and teaching and learning platform for health care professionals and students. It offers valuable clinical placement opportunities for students of PolyU's Faculty of Health and Social Sciences through their participation in supporting the Centre's operations.
Including the donation received today, Tai Hung Fai Charity Foundation has donated a total of HK$19.4 million in the past five years in support of the operation and development of the "PolyU – Henry G. Leong Mobile Integrative Health Centre".
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