PUBLIC HEALTH
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loon, and in connexion with the activities of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Penetration Parties which visit remote areas in the New Territories.
DEVELOPMENT
Scavenging in the New Territories became the responsi- bility of the District Commissioner, New Territories, in October, when this function was transferred from the Medical Department.
A new Government Dispensary with 7 maternity beds at Sai Kung was officially opened in January 1956, and an extension was made to the Maurine Grantham Health Centre at Tsuen Wan, which increased the number of maternity beds from 13 to 26.
Plans for two new major health centres at Tai Po and Shek Kip Mei were completed within the year.
The new Cardio-Respiratory Unit provided by the Univer- sity at Queen Mary Hospital was opened on 14th August, 1956, and is proving an invaluable adjunct to the investiga- tion of diseases of the heart and lungs. It is now possible to carry out valvotomy for mitral stenosis after essential pre-operative investigations.
The first stage of the new Mental Hospital at Castle Peak has been completed with the construction of the Chronic Wards. It is expected that these will be opened in January 1957.
Work continues on planning the new 1,300 bedded Kow- loon Hospital and a large new polyclinic at Sai Ying Pun. Training of the additional medical personnel for the new Hospital is also under way.
In Appendix XIV will be found a list of all hospitals in Hong Kong, Government and private, with numbers of beds; in Appendix XV a statement of the total numbers of registered doctors, nurses and other medical personnel; and