HEALTH
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Immunisation programmes against common childhood infections were carried out in schools as well as Family Health Service Centres. Primary 1 and 6 school children receive booster vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis. In addition, girls in Primary 6 are given rubella vaccination. The coverage was up to 98 per cent.
To increase the protection of the at-risk group, namely women at child-bearing age, rubella vaccination is made available to nurses, teachers and social workers who are in constant contact with children. The vaccination is also given to eligible women attending Family Health Service centres.
Viral hepatitis remains prevalent in the community, with 1 554 notified cases and 23 deaths reported. To reduce the long term effects of hepatitis such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, the Hepatitis B Vaccination Programme was introduced in 1983. Under the present strategy, immunisation is given to babies born to mothers who are carriers of the disease, and health care workers who are in frequent contact with blood and other tissue products, as they are at risk of contracting the disease.
The combined neo-natal screening programme for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and congenital hypothyroidism, introduced in 1983, was continued so as to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions which may lead to disability. The programme has been extended to cover all babies born in Hong Kong, including private hospitals, in 1986.
Hospitals and Development Programmes
There are three types of hospitals in Hong Kong - government, government-assisted and private - with a total of 25 004 beds, representing 4.5 beds per thousand of the population. During the year, pressure was experienced in all sections of the service. This was reflected by the increase in attendance at out-patient clinics and accident and emergency depart- ments, and by the number of hospital admissions.
The Medical and Health Department's overall plan for the decade involves the construction of at least four more government hospitals: a 1 600-bed hospital in Tuen Mun, a 1600-bed hospital in Chai Wan, a 1 500-bed hospital in East Kowloon and a 1 200-bed hospital in North District. Plans include the provision of extension blocks to the first three regional hospitals: the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret hospitals.
Other projects in the pipeline include further extensions to the United Christian Hospital, Yan Chai Hospital, Pok Oi Hospital and the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital. The Ruttonjee Sanatorium will be redeveloped into a general hospital with 614 beds and the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital will be reprovisioned in Tai Po. There was also emphasis on provision for the elderly infirm and the severely disabled. A total of 2 400 beds have been planned for the coming decade.
In 1987, the total attendance at government and government-assisted accident and emergency departments was 1 195 000, averaging 3 265 attendances per day. More than 668 000 patients were treated at 14 government and 20 government-assisted hospitals.
Clinics
General out-patient services form a vital part of the health care system. The government now operates 66 public general out-patient clinics as well as polyclinics and specialist clinics. Evening, Sunday and public holiday sessions continue at clinics in the more densely populated areas as part of the overall measures to meet the expanding demand for