The Social Welfare Department of Hong Kong had provided 2 million HK dollars (256,000 US dollars) in financial assistance to 894 SARS patients and their families on June 10, a Hong Kong official said here Wednesday.
Speaking in the Legislative Council, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Yeoh Eng-kiong also said that families of three Hospital Authority healthcare staff who died of SARS each received3 million HK dollars (385,000 US dollars) under the government's scheme that provides financial assistance to family members of those who sacrifice their lives to help others.
Yeon said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government plans to set up a fund to support the education of the children of the deceased staff.
It is also considering the provision of a special recuperation grant to staff infected with SARS while on duty.
The department has also been entrusted to administer two non-government funds, and to allocate grants to those eligible, according to Yeoh.
The first is the Business Community Relief Fund for Victims of SARS. As at June 10, 518 applications involving 13.9 million HK dollars (1.78 million US dollars) had been approved.
The other is the We Care Education Fund which is a long-term education fund for children in Hong Kong who have lost a parent toSARS.
(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2003)
