PUBLIC HEALTH
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medical clinics; the Lok Sin Tong, in addition, erected during 1958 a new Maternity Home. The District Associations, drawing their members from people claiming a common ancestral home in some part of China, also gave evidence of the popular demand for medical or health services. During 1958 eighteen of them ran medical clinics providing free or subsidized treatment by qualified practitioners. Between them, they dealt with more than 10,000 patients.
The Clansmen's Associations, composed of persons with the same surname though not necessarily related to each other, have also responded to the popular demand for medical facilities. The majority of these Associations were not financially able to provide proper clinics, but they were able to call on doctors from amongst their own members to provide free or low-cost treatment for other members.
The Kaifong Welfare Associations also provided free or low-cost medical treatment to the sick poor. Twenty eight of these Kaifong Associations ran clinics under the control of fully qualified and registered medical practitioners. Between them they treated 50,000 patients in 1958. These Associations, however, also have to cater for the fact that a very large number of people in Hong Kong still wish to consult Chinese Herbalists, and they have therefore engaged the services of suitable herbalists to meet this demand. No Kaifong Association ran a maternity home in 1958, but several provided special financial or other facilities to assist expectant mothers to get institutional treatment at a reduced rate. Several Kaifong Associations also co-operated very fully with the Govern- ment in vaccination campaigns and in a drive to improve standards of hygiene in the home.
HEALTH SERVICES
Port Health. The Port Health Administration is responsible for the prevention of the importation of infectious diseases into the Colony by sea, land and air; for sanitary control of the port area and airport; and for the carrying out of the provisions of the International Sanitary Regulations, 1951, as embodied in the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance. The Epidemiol- ogical Section compiles statistics of communicable diseases, and