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HEALTH
for doctors. Both the government and the University of Hong Kong maintain a programme of post-graduate training. Suitable candidates, after four years of resident training under the supervision of consultants, may be granted paid study leave to attend courses outside Hong Kong. Opportunities are also available for doctors to sit higher professional examinations in Hong Kong by arrangements with overseas bodies such as the Royal Colleges of the United Kingdom and Australia.
Hong Kong has no local facilities for training in dentistry but a dental scholarship scheme enables a number of students from Hong Kong to go overseas each year to study dentistry. A total of 101 scholarships have been awarded since the scheme started in 1954.
The school of physiotherapy run by the Medical and Health Department trains physiotherapists for the service as well as for government-assisted hospitals. For other para-medical grades of staff, in-service training is provided to enable them to qualify as radiographers, laboratory technicians, dispensers, prosthetists, mould laboratory and dental technicians. A number of suitable and promising staff of these para-medical services are sent abroad for further training and experience.
There are three government hospital schools of nursing. Two of them provide a three-year course in general nursing and the other offers a three-year course in psychiatric nursing. Other approved nurse training schools are attached to the government-assisted or private hospitals. Final registration examinations are con- ducted by the Hong Kong Nursing Board.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital and some government-assisted and private hospitals run one-year courses in obstetric nursing for registered nurses. The Tsan Yuk Hospital offers a two-year midwifery course in Chinese for students who are not registered nurses. On completion of training they are eligible to sit for the Registration Examina- tion conducted by the Hong Kong Midwives Board.
The Kowloon Hospital and various government-assisted and private hospital schools of nursing also offer two-year courses in general nurse training or psychiatric nurse training. Pupil nurses who have passed the examinations conducted by the Hong Kong Nursing Board become enrolled nurses.
A nine-month course for health visitors prepares candidates for the examination of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health. Health auxiliaries, who supplement the health visitors service, continue to have a two-year training course in health education and basic public health nursing.
The government conducts a continuous post-graduate overseas training pro- gramme for graduate nurses to specialise in such areas as nursing administration, nursing education, dietetics, orthopaedic nursing, intensive care, operating theatre services, and ophthalmic nursing.
The Hong Kong Examination Board of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health conducts examinations for diplomas and certificates in connection with public health, tropical hygiene, health visitors and school nurses, air pollution control, and the inspection of meat and other foods.