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HEALTH
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to be opened in 1972. In addition it maintains the BCG vaccination programme and during the year 96 per cent of babies born in the Colony received BCG vaccination within 72 hours of birth. It is believed that the widespread use of this prophylactic measure has led to the precipitate fall in tuberculosis in the very young in Hong Kong.
The cornerstone of treatment in Hong Kong is ambulatory chemo- therapy on an outpatient basis. The position with regard to the treatment of tuberculosis in the last 15 years has changed completely, and the disease can now nearly always be cured provided the patient is co-operative and takes his treatment regularly. The previous monthly issue of PAS/Isoniazid tablets has now, in a large proportion of cases, been replaced by a regimen of twice weekly Streptomycin injections and high dosage Isoniazid tablets. This has the advantage that it is a completely supervised regimen, whereas it is known that some patients did not take their drugs regularly when issued on a monthly basis.
A large scale trial with the Medical Research Council to evaluate the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy in Hong Kong has now been completed. Preliminary results have indicated that six months of three drugs daily (PAS, Isoniazid and Streptomycin), with which treatment is usually initiated, can be reduced to three months. It also indicates the paramount need for supervision in the taking of drugs and has led to a simplification in the management of the cases. The study to evaluate the most effective drugs for the treatment of resistant cases is progressing smoothly. A close examination of the actual functioning of the Chest Service, known as the Hong Kong Treatment Survey, is now more than half-way completed, while a study to examine in depth all young children who develop tuberculosis began in June and the results should be beneficial to the BCG programme. The results of these investigations should, within the next few years, revolutionise the approach to the treatment of tuberculosis and be of international interest.
As a result of improved facilities and treatment it has been possible during the past two years to reduce the number of tuberculosis beds by 185. The Colony has now 1,667 beds available specifically for the treatment of tuberculosis. The Government provides 104 beds in Kowloon Hospital, but the majority are in government-assisted hospitals, notably those managed by the Hong Kong Anti-Tubercu- losis and Thoracic Diseases Association. This association offers a total of 770 beds distributed between Grantham Hospital, Rutton- jee Sanatorium and Freni Memorial Home. In addition the Junk