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HEALTH
appear in monthly birth returns. Health education forms an im- portant part of this work and includes practical demonstrations, talks, film shows and individual advice to mothers. Immunization against smallpox, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuber- culosis and measles is offered at all centres.
There is an increasing liaison with the Family Planning Associa- tion, which conducts increasing numbers of sessions in the full-time
centres.
SCHOOL HEALTH
The School Medical Service is operated by the School Medical Service Board, an independent body incorporated by ordinance. Essentially, the scheme offers a service whereby participating school children receive medical treatment from private medical practi- tioners for the small sum of $7 a year. This per capita fee does not meet the cost of the service, and the Government contributes an equal sum as well as the cost of administrative expenses. At the end of the year 43,693 students attending schools were enrolled in the service and 202 private medical practitioners were participating.
The School Health Service, which has been in existence since 1927, continues as a government responsibility and is concerned with the sanitary condition of school premises, the control of communicable diseases and the health education of children, teachers and parents. In August 1966 the work of the School Health Service was taken over by the area health officers who, apart from their normal duties, act as medical officers of schools.
MENTAL HEALTH
The Castle Peak Hospital for psychiatric patients, planned with a bed capacity of 1,242 beds, was required to accommodate an average of some 1,600 patients daily during most of the year, and psychiatric cases from the whole Colony are admitted to the hospital, mostly as voluntary patients. Outpatient treatment is available on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories, and day patients are treated in the Psychiatric Day Centre on Hong Kong Island as well as the modern Yau Ma Tei Psychiatric Centre, which occupies one-quarter of the clinical floors of the Yau Ma Tei Polyclinic. The latter Centre also provides special facilities for the