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HEALTH
bathhouses, funeral parlours and swimming pools are dealt with by a Central Licensing Unit in order to eliminate delay. Urban Services Department staff work closely with the Medical and Health Department in the investigation and control of infectious diseases and food-poisoning. Hygiene inspection of domestic premises is carried out at intervals, depending on the type of premises. A special staff is engaged on the inspection and sampling of local and imported foods and certification of foods for export. Attention has been given to the processing of shrimps and prawns for export under Health Certification, resulting in the promulgation of a code of practice for the processing of cooked prawns and shrimps and the establishment of a system of registration of food factories considered to be suitable for processing for the export trade. The health staff are also responsible for investigating complaints from the public, for abating nuisances, and for preventing the breeding of flies and mosquitoes.
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A pest control section carries out measures for the control of rats, mice, cockroaches, ants, fleas, bed-bugs, biting midges and, in the New Territories, flies and mosquitoes. The responsibilities of this section also include work to prevent the breeding of malarial mosquitoes throughout all urban areas.
The health education section continued to organize publicity campaigns on various health topics and to run food hygiene train- ing courses for food handlers. Over 500 food handlers from res- taurants, cooked food stalls and government canteens have been trained during the year. Cleanliness courses for caretakers in multi- storey buildings continued to be held.
To disseminate health knowledge and promote health education among the younger generation, school health talks are given by staff of this section to all government primary schools in Hong Kong. School health quizzes and health education oratorical and song contests are held each year.
The kaifong welfare associations and New Territories rural com- mittees continued to co-operate in publicity and in various health campaigns. 'Keep Your District Clean' campaigns were held in designated districts in the early part of the year under the combined auspices of kaifong associations and government departments.