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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Territories, is statutorily responsible for public health measures in the New Territories, and is advised by officers of the Medical Department.
The work of the Medical Department is under the direction of the Director of Medical and Health Services, and that of the Urban Services Department under the Director of Urban Services, who is concurrently the Chairman of the Urban Council. Close liaison is maintained between the two Departments through the Assistant Director of Health Services. He is concurrently Vice-Chairman and public health adviser to the Urban Council, and has certain executive functions in regard to the Urban Council. He also has certain executive functions in regard to the inspectorate of the Urban Services, which is further guided by health officers of the Medical Department, who have statutory powers under the public health legislation affecting both Departments. The work of the district health officers is directly controlled by the Senior Health Officer.
To the estimated $30,278,630 expenditure for 1955-6 should be added subventions, totalling $6,262,144, to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the Mission to Lepers, and other similar bodies. The combined estimated expenditure of the Medical Depart- ment and the medical subventions represents approximately 8.83% of the Colony's total estimated revenue. Estimated capital expenditure for the Medical Department is $2,101,000.
Due to lack of epidemiological information from China, arrivals from all Chinese ports east of Canton are medically inspected by the Port Health Division of the Department, and a quarantine post has been established at the railway bridge on the land frontier. The Malaria Bureau conducted surveys in various parts of the New Territories, and its control system was extended to the area near Shap Long, Lantao Island, where the Social Welfare Office has its home for the disabled and destitute. Ante-natal, post-natal and child wel- fare sessions are now conducted in three main centres and fifteen subsidiary centres. Infant health sessions are held daily at the main centres, and usually once-weekly at the subsidiary centres; but at Chai Wan, Tsun Wan and Shaukiwan it has been found possible to increase the number of sessions to five per week.