PUBLIC HEALTH
173
administration had to be strengthened by fourteen clerks. Posts for 33 additional drivers were approved. Pest Control activities were expanded by the creation of 18 new anti- mosquito units, each consisting of a foreman and a coolie.
District Health Work. Intense overcrowding continued to present many serious health problems, and measures design- ed to achieve the best possible standard of domestic and environmental sanitation continued to be exceptionally im- portant. A great proportion of the district health inspectors' time is allotted to the regular inspection of the 120,000 domestic floors in the urban area, an average of 2,000 floors per inspector; this is well in excess of the 1,200 floors which is regarded as the desirable maximum for one inspector, although even 1,200 floors for one district inspector is a very high figure. The limiting factor is the capacity to recruit, train and absorb new officers. 48 probationer inspectors were engaged for training during the year, and 19 newly trained inspectors from the previous training course became quali- fied and were posted to duties in August 1957. Against_this must be set three retirements, so that the net increase of officers available for duty was 16.
Most people in Hong Kong are not conscious of the importance of health measures, and the Council decided during the year that more resources should be devoted to health education. Two successful anti-mosquito drives were held during March and September, and at the end of the year plans were well advanced for a series of general publicity campaigns.
The other major part of the district inspector's work is concerned with supervision of the 9,000 premises licensed by the Urban Council, most of which are premises dealing with raw or unprotected foods. Again, those concerned with food handling and the catering trades are far from being fully aware of the basic principles of food hygiene; once again the fundamental need is health education. Nearly four thousand copies of a Chinese-language pamphlet called