HEALTH
The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine is an independent statutory body with the authority to approve, assess and accredit all post-internship medical training. Its 15 colleges conduct training and examinations to award specialist qualifications to qualifying candidates.
The School of Public Health Nursing in the Department of Health provided in-service training programmes for the department's nursing and allied grade staff to enhance and update their professional knowledge.
Training in dentistry is available at the University of Hong Kong, which produced 45 dentists in 2001.
Government Laboratory
The Government Laboratory offers a comprehensive range of analytical and advisory services to various government departments and other public institutions to assist them in the implementation of programmes for the protection of public health.
―
During the year, a wide range of food samples including fresh produce and cooked, processed and preserved foods was examined for compliance with health standards laid down in the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance. The ordinance has been amended to control the use of veterinary chemicals as a result of food poisoning cases associated with the intake of pork or offal contaminated by beta-agonists. Consequently, extended analytical services are required, and the Laboratory has committed additional resources in undertaking the work, including the procurement of advanced instruments and training of the new staff involved. Surveillance of seasonal and festival foods continued to be a routine commitment during the year. A notable case concerned melon seeds sold during Lunar New Year that contained an excessive amount of mineral oil, which was intended to improve the appearance of the commodity. The authorities contained the problem swiftly, taking account of the Laboratory's findings. A project on testing for genetically modified ingredients in foods was progressing well, with an analytical protocol developed and validated for use.
The use of Western and Chinese medicines constitute an integral part of health care. The Laboratory has conducted extensive testing to ensure the quality of such preparations available to the public. The workload for examination of Western pharmaceutical products remained heavy, with 68 000 tests conducted during the year. While Western pharmaceuticals continued to be checked for compliance with the required standards in quality and safety, proprietary Chinese medicines were tested for heavy metal content and the presence of Western drugs or controlled substances. Furthermore, several ad hoc projects to study the extent of pesticide contamination in Chinese medicines were conducted.
Year-round surveillance of tar and nicotine yield in cigarettes continued, with results published for public information and affirmation of the data declared by tobacco traders.
Chinese Medicine
The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, established in September 1999, is responsible for devising and implementing regulatory measures for Chinese medicine. Subsidiary legislation for the registration of Chinese medicine practitioners was enacted in June 2000. By the end of the application period in December 2000, the
181