192 Health
resources for developing new food testing methods and conducting additional food tests resulting from the broadened scope in food surveillance operations.
The laboratory also continues to provide services for analysing the quality and safety of western and Chinese medicines. In 2011, it carried out a total of 55 963 tests on western pharmaceutical products and 80 579 on Chinese medicines to ensure they met recognised quality and safety standards, including tests on proprietary Chinese medicines to ensure they were not adulterated with western drugs, controlled substances, and other harmful ingredients.
The laboratory provided support for investigations into cases involving undeclared western drug ingredients and incidents of intoxication suspected to have been caused by misused, or contaminated herbs in Chinese medicines. The laboratory continues to assist the Department of Health in the development of Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS). It also continued its year-round surveillance of tar and nicotine yields in cigarettes, carrying out 12 504 checks on data declared by tobacco traders, the results of which were released to the public regularly.
Public Health Laboratory Services
The Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the DH conducts laboratory tests for clinical and surveillance specimens and provides clinical diagnostic and public health laboratory services to the public and private health sectors for patient care and for other public health purposes. The branch conducted more than five million such tests in 2011.
The Public Health Laboratory Centre under the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch has been designated by the WHO as the National Influenza Centre, the National Poliovirus Laboratory, the National Measles Laboratory, a Regional Reference Laboratory for measles, an Influenza A(H5) Reference Laboratory, a SARS Reference Laboratory and a Supranational TB Reference Laboratory.
Hospital Laboratory Services
Hospital laboratories located in regional hospitals under the HA provide a wide range of laboratory services in anatomical pathology, chemical pathology, haematology, blood bank, microbiology, immunology and tissue typing to ensure that all public hospitals, including those without on-site laboratories, have access to comprehensive laboratory services. These laboratories are supported by advanced information technology systems and automated devices to achieve operational efficiency. They are also accredited by a number of local and international accreditation bodies. These hospital laboratories carried out more than 210 million tests in 2011.
Auxiliary Medical Service
The Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) is a government department under the Security Bureau with an establishment of 96 civil servants. It manages a government- financed auxiliary service comprising 4 602 volunteers. In addition to doctors and nurses, all of its members are qualified Disaster Medical Assistants. Its main role is