HEALTH
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transmits free medical advice to ships at sea. A 24-hour service for the inspection of in-coming passengers arriving by sea and air and the granting of radio pratique to ships from clean ports on request is maintained throughout the year. Epidemiological information is regularly exchanged with the World Health Organisation and several neighbouring health administrations.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
There is increasing public understanding of the value of Hong Kong's maternal and child health facilities. Almost all babies are born either in hospital maternity wards or in maternity homes, and confinements at home attended by private midwives now represent less than one per cent of the total deliveries. The Government District Midwifery Service has 28 centres, and the total number of maternity beds available for deliveries in these health centres is 502. There are 80 registered midwives practising privately in 54 mater- nity and nursing homes, which are regularly inspected by the Supervisor of Midwives and her staff.
The Government Maternal and Child Health Service offers free maternal and child care at 34 centres, 19 of which are full-time. Four new subsidiary centres were established in the clinics on outlying islands during the year, thus extending the service to the remote parts of the New Territories. A full-time centre in north Kwai Chung became operational in autumn 1971. Clinics are held for infants and for children between two and five years old, and ante-natal and post-natal sessions are also conducted. Whenever necessary, babies attending the clinic are visited at home, and health visitors go to the homes of newborn infants whose names appear on the monthly birth returns. Health education forms an important part of this work and there is close liaison with the Family Planning Association, which conducts an increasing number of sessions in all the 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 practitioners for $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 37,589 students attending schools were enrolled in the service and 178 private medical practitioners were participating.