140
HEALTH
British Red Cross Society operates a blood collecting centre on Hong Kong Island for the voluntary donation of blood. The Institute of Pathology does the laboratory work for the Blood Banks.
The Government Chemist is responsible for the work of the analytical laboratory and undertakes investigations into food hygiene, water supplies, narcotics control, medico-legal work and import and export control, including dutiable commodities. A considerable amount of investigation is also performed into standards of commodities included in Government contracts.
DENTAL SERVICES
The dental health of the population of Hong Kong is poor; a survey in 1960 showed that 90% of children already have some dental decay by the time they begin primary school at six years of age. Plans for the fluoridation of the Colony's urban water supplies to combat this were far advanced by the end of the year and it is confidently expected that future generations will show a marked reduction in the incidence of dental caries.
The Government Dental Service is organized in two sections, a general service and a school service. The General Dental Service undertakes the treatment of monthly-paid government employees and their dependants, of in-patients in Government hospitals and of prisoners. It also provides an emergency service for the general public at certain clinics, mainly for the relief of pain and for extractions. The School Dental Service carries out routine examina- tions and treatment for the School Health Service. At the end of the year there were 22 Government dental clinics and a mobile dental unit which serves those parts of the New Territories to which roads give direct access.
A number of welfare organizations run free or low cost dental clinics and many dentists give their services to them free of charge. The Hong Kong Dental Society also operates free evening clinics at welfare centres in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The St John Ambulance Brigade, as well as maintaining Sunday visits to re- mote areas of the New Territories by medical teams which include dentists, opened a dental clinic in its Hong Kong Headquarters' building where civilian and military dentists treat under-privileged