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Health
was supporting 111 students from 17 schools. The Dementia Community Support Scheme, launched in February 2017, provides support services at the community level for the elderly with mild or moderate dementia and their carers through District Elderly Community Centres, and 1,079 elderly people with dementia and their carers were receiving support as at December.
Other Special Services
Specialist facilities under the department include 19 methadone clinics, 17 chest clinics, seven social hygiene clinics, four dermatology clinics, two integrated treatment centres, four centres and clinics providing services related to clinical genetics, six child assessment centres and two travel health centres. These facilities recorded about 2.64 million attendances in 2017.
Secondary, Tertiary and Specialised Health Care
These services are available mainly in the Hospital Authority's hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics. As at end-2017, the city had 28,329 public hospital beds, comprising 22,001 general beds, 2,041 infirmary beds, 3,607 beds for the mentally ill and 680 beds for the mentally handicapped. There were also 4,644 beds in private hospitals, 5,830 in nursing homes and 880 in institutions run by the Correctional Services Department. There are 5.32 beds per 1,000 people. Public hospitals spent $38.2 billion on inpatient services in 2016-17 and discharged 1.81 million inpatients and day inpatients in 2017.
The Hospital Authority's specialist outpatient clinics arrange appointments for new patients based on the urgency of their clinical conditions, to ensure those with acute conditions receive priority. Patients in stable condition are referred to family medicine and general outpatient clinics, or to primary care practitioners in the private sector for follow-up. In 2017, the Hospital Authority's specialist outpatient clinics recorded about 7.7 million attendances.
In 2014-15, spending on both public and private secondary, tertiary and specialised health care totalled about $70.2 billion, of which 72 per cent was spent on public inpatient and specialist outpatient services. In 2016-17, the Hospital Authority's specialist clinics spent about $11.1 billion on providing medical services.
Allied Health Service
Allied health professionals working under the Hospital Authority include audiologists, clinical psychologists, dietitians, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, prosthetists and orthotists, speech therapists and medical social workers. They provide rehabilitative and extended care to help patients receiving inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory and community care services to reintegrate into society. In 2017, the Hospital Authority's allied health outpatient departments recorded about 2.75 million attendances.
Accident and Emergency Services
Eighteen public hospitals provide accident and emergency services, delivering a high standard of service for critically ill or injured people and victims of disasters.
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Consisting of all beds in the Hospital Authority's hospitals, private hospitals, nursing homes and correctional institutions.
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