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HEALTH
In accordance with its expanded responsibilities and function as a result of the integration of family planning services, the Maternal and Child Health Service has been reorganised and during the year a Family Health Service has been established to operate the family health programme.
The service operates 37 health centres, 21 full-time and the remainder on a sessional basis, and also 23 maternity homes. Home visits are often made by health visitors and nurses to advise mothers or to follow-up defaulters of the health pro- grammes. Health education is given both at the centres and homes.
During the year 96.4 per cent of babies born attended the centres for child health service, and there has been an increase in the number of attendances at family planning clinics. It is evident that the Family Health Service plays an important role to maintain and promote the health of the two important groups of the population-women of child-bearing age and children from birth to five years-and, indirectly, the health of their family.
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 75,234 pupils from 652 schools and 202 private medical practitioners were participating.
The School Health Service continues as a government responsibility and is con- cerned with the environmental health and sanitary condition of school premises and the control of communicable diseases in schools. Routine inspection of schools is undertaken by school health inspectors, while immunisation of schoolchildren against the major infectious diseases is arranged by health officers.
Mental Health
Castle Peak Hospital provides for the full-time care for all types of psychiatric patients who are mostly admitted voluntarily, whereas the psychiatric unit in Kowloon Hospital and the university psychiatric unit in Queen Mary Hospital provide compre- hensive psychiatric service in a general hospital setting. Outpatient treatment is avail- able in the urban areas and in the New Territories and day-patients are treated at the Hong Kong Psychiatric Centre on Hong Kong Island, and at the psychiatric unit in Kowloon Hospital and the Yau Ma Tei Psychiatric Centre in Kowloon. The Yau Ma Tei centre also provides special facilities for the observation and treatment of disturbed children. Occupational, social and recreational therapies are given in all centres and units. Criminal offenders who are mentally ill are observed and treated at the Prisons Department's Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre. Although the severely sub-normal are treated at the Siu Lam Hospital, other cases of mental sub-normality are under the care of the Social Welfare Department and the Education Department, where they receive special training and education. Certain voluntary agencies working in close