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HEALTH
in the New Territories. The department is organized into three main divisions, one dealing with cleansing, conservancy, cemeteries and crematoria, one with food and general hygiene, and the other with hawkers, markets, slaughterhouses and public amenities.
The hygiene division is responsible for standards of environmental and food hygiene throughout the urban areas. The division also assists the Medical and Health Department in the control of in- fectious diseases including food-poisoning cases. Standards of domestic hygiene are controlled by a system of house-to-house inspections carried out at intervals varying from six months to one year depending on the type of premises. Anti-fly and anti- mosquito work is also the responsibility of the district health staff. Restaurants, food factories and other premises where food is handled are inspected at regular intervals. During 1965 special food hygiene squads were formed. Eight food inspectors are em- ployed on food inspection duties in Hong Kong and Kowloon, their work including inspection and sampling of both local and imported foods.
Precautions against cholera continued throughout the year. Health education covers a wide field and is an integral part of the activities of all branches of the Medical and Health Department. A special health education section is active in the New Territories under the Principal Medical Officer of Health, New Territories, stressing rural sanitation. During the year the health education section, under the direction of the Health Education Select Com- mittee of the Urban Council, again organized publicity campaigns on aspects of environmental hygiene. Food hygiene courses, pri- marily designed for staff of restaurants, were extended to other food handlers including caterers in school canteens and clubs.
As in previous years kaifong associations continued to co-operate in publicity as well as in immunization campaigns. Many of these associations run their own health committees and take a lively and practical interest in the health problems of their respective districts. The associations again combined to organize a health education exhibition, in which major health problems were em- phasized. A striking success during the year was the joint efforts of kaifong associations and government departments in 'Keep Your District Clean' campaigns. The pest control section of the Urban Services Department works primarily on the control of pests such
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