HEALTH
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The Organisational Framework
The Department of Health is the government's health adviser and the agency for executing health care policies and statutory functions.
It safeguards the health of the community through a comprehensive programme of promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitation services. It works in collaboration with the private sector and teaching institutions to provide a wide range of primary health care services.
The Hospital Authority is an independent body responsible for the management and control of all public hospitals in Hong Kong.
The authority was established in December 1990 to integrate government and government-assisted hospitals with a view to optimising the use of resources, facilitating hospital management reforms and enhancing community participation. Medical treatment and rehabilitation services are provided to patients through hospitals, specialist clinics and outreaching services operated by the authority. Since 1992, management reforms have been introduced in most public hospitals, with the emphasis on defining clear lines of accountability and providing greater devolution of responsibilities.
Of the 26 663 hospital beds in Hong Kong, 23 461 are in public hospitals under the Hospital Authority, 3 112 are in private institutions, 849 in correctional institutions and 84 are in institutions under the Department of Health.
At the end of 1994, 7 670 doctors were registered with the Hong Kong Medical - Council 6 985 on the local list and 685 on the overseas list. The number of nurses
registered with the Hong Kong Nursing Board was 33 664.
Health of the Community
The health of the population remains good, as indicated by health indices which are among the best in the world. The infant mortality rate is below five per 1 000 live births. The average life expectancy at birth is 81 years for females and 75 for males.
The leading causes of death in 1994 were cancers (31 per cent), heart diseases (16 per cent) and cerebrovascular diseases (11 per cent). These diseases mainly affect the elderly and are expected to continue to dominate the mortality picture as the population in Hong Kong ages.
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Communicable Diseases
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The Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance was revised in 1994 in view of changes in the epidemiology of communicable diseases and the amendment of international health regulations by the World Health Organisation. With the deletion of four diseases (smallpox, chickenpox, puerperal fever and opthalmia neonatorum) and the addition of five diseases (tetanus, legionnaires' disease, dengue fever, rubella and mumps), the new list of notifiable diseases contains 26 items. Other amendments included the revision of penalties and fines under the ordinance.
Communicable diseases are well under control. In 1994, there were 9 120 notifications of infectious diseases, including 5 989 cases of tuberculosis and 836 cases of viral hepatitis.
A total of 56 cholera cases came to attention in 1994, including nine imported cases. An outbreak of cholera affecting 12 patients occurred between June 15 and July 8 in Aberdeen. Investigations identified seafood kept in contaminated sea-water taken from the Aberdeen