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HEALTH
Pok Oi Hospital near Yuen Long in the New Territories. There are also the hospitals operated by the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association and a number of general hospitals maintained by missionary and other charitable organizations. Six of these are run by the Catholic Church including the new 454-bed Caritas Medical Centre in the densely populated So Uk district which was opened by the Governor on 17th December. Two hospitals are maintained by the Protestant Churches. The Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium provides medical care and rehabilitation for 540 patients and the Haven of Hope Sanatorium accommodates 230 tuberculosis patients and has plans for expansion. Several of these institutions receive substantial financial assistance from Govern- ment, while others are supported, in varying degrees by fees, volun- tary donations and grants from missionary funds. In some cases, where a proportion of low-cost or free beds is maintained, and where any excess of income over expenditure is used for hospital development, land is granted without premium and rates are refunded through government subvention.
SPECIALIST SERVICES
In government hospitals there are clinical specialists in anaes- thetics; chest surgery; dentistry; ear, nose and throat diseases; eye diseases; general medicine; general surgery; neuro-surgery; obstetrics and gynaecology; orthopaedic surgery; psychiatry; pathology; radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy. There are also the specialist clinics for tuberculosis and social hygiene. The Malaria Bureau, the Government Chemist's laboratory, and the Forensic Pathology laboratory also provide specialist services.
The Government Institute of Pathology maintains clinical pa- thology and public health laboratory services.
There are blood banks at the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals and the Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society operates a blood-collecting centre for the voluntary donation of blood. The Institute of Pathology carries out laboratory work for the blood banks. The Government Chemist is responsible for the work of an analytical laboratory which undertakes a wide range of investigations concerned with food, water supplies, nar- cotics, medico-legal work as well as a considerable amount of non-medical investigation.