108
Registration of Births and Deaths.
35. With regard to the registration of births and deaths the position has vastly improved and now practically all the deaths and the great majority of the births are being registered. This applies not only to the urban districts but to the New Territories where until 1932 registration was a dead letter. Instead of having to be chased to register their births the people are now insisting on it having got to know that registration has no disadvantages and many advantages. With the change of the law the cumbersome methods formerly in vogue gave place to others which were more simple and with regard to post registration less expensive.
Year.
1928
1936
Birth registration.
9,309
27,383
Death registration.
14,735 26,356
Port Health.
36. The Port Health Branch which now includes a fumigating and disinfecting plant is entirely different from what it was in 1929. Then it was inefficient, now it is efficient and up to date. In 1929 there was one quarantine anchorage which was so shallow that no ship drawing twenty feet of water could use it with safety, the result was that none of the large vessels went there. They were examined at the wharf where the crowds swarming on board made proper examination impossible. There is now a special quarantine anchorage in deep water on the way to the wharf. Fumigation and disinfection was done by a private company, it is now done by the department. Hong Kong is now an adherent to the International Sanitary Convention, then it was not. To-day the branch deals efficiently not only with sea quarantine but with air quarantine. The officers of this branch are doing excellent work.
Vaccination.
37. Vaccination is being well attended to in this Colony. The lymph is all prepared at the Bacteriological Institute and issued to the various public vaccinators free of charge. The Government vaccinators are members of the Port Health staff. They perform their operations both at the vaccination centre next to the Harbour Office, on ships and anywhere they are sent. The Chinese Public Dispensaries get paid ten cents for every vaccination done there. As they are also birth registration centres a great many infant vaccinations are done there. Vaccinations are carried out by the Government midwives, also at all Government hospitals and dispensaries. Every year the St. John Ambulance Brigade carry out a campaign in the streets and do a great deal of good in persuading people to be done. They also do propaganda work in the New Territories. Private practitioners can purchase fresh active lymph at small cost.
Social Hygiene.
38. The Venereal diseases branch is doing very good work. There are now four centres three of which are planned on model lines and the fourth will soon be brought into line with the others. The staff consists of a Venereal Diseases Health Officer and an assistant Venereal Diseases Medical Officer a European Technical Assistant, four dressers and a nurse. Three Chinese Lady Medical Officers assist where necessary. In 1929 there was no proper centre and no staff.
Maternity and Child Welfare.
39. At the end of 1928 there was no maternity and infant welfare branch and the number of registered midwives was 135 including 7 in Government service. Now there is such a branch under a Lady Medical Officer assisted by two Chinese lady medical officers and seven fully qualified Chinese nurses. centres, one at the Violet Peel and the other in Kowloon.
There are two
Both are well
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