HEALTH
Port Health Service
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The Port Health Service is responsible for the enforcement of the International Health Regulations, the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance and the sanitary control of the port and airport areas. It provides facilities for the vaccination and the issue of International Vaccination Certificates to travellers, and for the inspection, deratting and the issue of International Deratting or Deratting Exemption Certificates to ships on international voyages. It also renders medical assistance to ships in the harbour and transmits free medical advice to ships at sea. A 24-hour service for the inspection of incoming passengers arriving by sea and air and the granting of radio pratique to ships from clean ports on request is maintained through- out the year.
Epidemiological information is regularly exchanged with the World Health Organisation in Geneva, the Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila, 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 mid- wives now represent less than one per cent of total deliveries. The Government District Midwifery Service has 23 centres, and the total number of maternity beds available for deliveries in these centres is 443. There are 64 registered midwives practising privately in 40 maternity 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 36 centres, 21 of which are full-time. Two full-time centres became operational during the year, one at Yau Tong and one at Tsz Wan Shan. Clinics are held for infants, and 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 also go to the homes of newborn infants whose names appear on the monthly birth returns. Health education forms an im- portant part of this work. In October 1973 the initial stage of the takeover of family planning clinics from the Family Planning Association by the Medical and Health Department was introduced.
School Health
The School Medical Service is operated by the School Medical Service Board, an independent body incorporated by ordinance. Participation is voluntary and for $5 a year schoolchildren receive medical treatment, including free medicine, from private medical practitioners. The government contributes $20 a year per enrolled pupil as well as the board's administrative expenses. Enrolment at the end of the year was 73,162 pupils from 637 schools, and 189 private medical practitioners were participating.