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Clinics
HEALTH
Outpatient services provided by the government, subsidised organisations and private agencies are developing steadily. The government operates 51 general out- patient clinics, with specialist facilities available in the polyclinics of the urban areas. The Tang Chi Ngong Specialist Clinic was opened in May, providing a wide range of specialist facilities for residents in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island. Towards the end of the year an additional floor on the existing Arran Street Eye Clinic in Mong Kok was completed-to be used as a special clinic for the assessment of physically and mentally disabled children. Specialist facilities are provided in the New Territories by visiting teams of doctors from the major hospitals. Mobile dis- pensaries and floating clinics take medical services to the islands and remote areas of the New Territories. Other inaccessible areas are visited regularly by the flying doctor service.
In accordance with the Medical Clinics Ordinance, all clinics are required to renew their registration annually. On December 31, 1976 there were 81 registered static clinics and two mobile clinics under the control of registered medical prac- titioners, and 331 clinics registered with exemption, making a total of 414. The low- cost medical care scheme, in which clinics are set up in public housing estates by registered medical practitioners, continues to operate.
Family Health
The Family Health Service operates 37 centres on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and the New Territories. Each provides a comprehensive health care programme for women of child-bearing age and for children from birth to five years. About one per cent of new attendances are found to have abnormalities, such as congenital defects and the effects of prematurity.
A family planning service is available in 40 government centres. In addition the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, which is subvented by government funds, runs another 25 clinics. Five of them are specifically for men and one of the clinics specialises in helping childless couples who want to have children.
The association is a non-profit-making voluntary agency and it has three main centres-on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. In addition to running clinics, it disseminates information and organises publicity campaigns on family planning, runs educational programmes and issues various publications, and has fieldworkers who are active in areas such as the marriage and birth registries and among the floating population and community centres.
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 a contribution of $5 a year schoolchildren can receive free medical treatment. The government contributes $20 a year per enrolled pupil and also covers the board's administrative expenses.
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