Answering the call of nature is easy for most of us, but for the elderly in Central and Western District using public toilets can be so frightening they dare not leave home.
Lee Sun is one of many elderly residents who shared his terrible public toilet experience at a press conference yesterday.
The 95-year-old fell when he had just finished using a squat toilet in Gutzlaff Street, Central, two months ago. 'I had to crouch when using the squat toilet. My legs felt very weak and painful after sitting on my heels for a while. When I tried to get up, I slipped and my back landed on the dirty floor.
'I now avoid going out, as I do not want to use public toilets again. I felt terrified. I kept knocking the door, but no one helped me till after half an hour,' Mr Lee recalled.
The Youth and Community Service of the Caritas Community Centre conducted a study on 40 public toilets in Central and Western after Mr Lee's fall.
The findings showed there were 36 squat toilets for men in Gutzlaff Street but no western toilets available.
After an inspection of the public toilets between February and March, the survey found 76 per cent of the 418 toilet cubicles in 40 public toilets had squat toilets. Only 100, or 25 per cent, were installed with western toilets.