work undertaken was a regular visit by a Health Visitor to the North Point Relief Camp and, starting in January, 1960, a monthly visit by a M.C.H. team to the British 'Save the Children Fund Nursery' at the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Estate.
328. Ante-natal sessions are held regularly in 28 centres and post- natal sessions in 16 centres. Total attendances at ante-natal sessions numbered 61.891 of which 17.418 were first visits; abnormal conditions were detected in 9.27% of mothers, oedema and hypertension being the commonest defects encountered. The routine chest X-ray, started in 1958, uncovered 2.1% of active tuberculosis in need of treatment. Pregnant women in need of dental care are referred to the Goverment Dental Clinic.
229. Post natal sessions were, on the whole, relatively poorly attended there being 3,530 first attendances out of a total of 4,870, Of those attending 22.15% were in need of some form of treatment, mainly For affections of the cervix, vagina and misplacement of the uterus, in that order. The records suggest that consciousness of some defect is the main cause for attendance and that those women who feel fit do not take advantage of a routine post-natal examination. This is undoubtedly related to economic and family pressures arising from employment or home commitments.
230. The infant health sessions for children in the 0-2 years age group and the toddler sessions are very popular. Here health education and immunization sessions are the main activities. There were 399,633 attendances at 13,497 health education sessions when simple talks, film and puppet shows, flannel graph illustrations and practical demonstra. tions of infant care and child hygiene are given. It is stimulating to see the interest and practical participation of the parents, not infrequent- ly including fathers. on these occasions.
231. Immunization against diphtheria, typhoid and tetanus are given as a routine using A.P.T. combined antigen and triple vaccine accord- ing to circumstances. All total 20,166 infants received a full course of immunization during the year. Smallpox vaccination is given where necessary and all children not known to have had B.C.G., are tuberculin tested, those who are negative receiving B.C.G. Those who are tuber- culin positive but without radiological signs of active disease are given prophylatie INAH for a period of one year.
232, Home visiting constitutes one of the major activities and this activity increased by 18% to a total of 46.248 visits.
54
233. The M.C.H. service participates in the undergraduate training of medical students, student bealth nurses and pupil midwives. In-service training courses are run by the Health Sisters for health visitors and health nurses: courses are maintained for midwives in private practice and classes held for social workers and high school girls. An elementary child care course run by the Social Welfare Department was given a series of lectures on child development and care during June and July, 1959 by M.C.H. staff.
234. Food supplements, mainly milk and baby foods, were distri- buted, according to need. to nursing mothers and infants. UNICEF skimmed milk powder was again generously provided free for all centres; half-cream and full-cream milk is supplied by Government; Heinz Baby Foods and Farley's Rusks were also donated for distribu- tion from the centres.
235. It is of interest to record developments during the period 1950 to 1959. During that period, the in-service training of doctors and nurses was started in 1952, UNICEF aid in the form of equipment and skimmed milk powder began in 1953, and WHO assistance with staff was given during 1953 to 1955. The course of training for Health Visitors was inaugurated in 1954.
TABLE 20
M.CH. DEVELOPMENTS 1950/59
Centres
Full-time Subsidiary
Staff
MO. i/e M.C.H.
M.0. i/c Centres
Health Sisters Health Visitors Health Nurse Attendancer
Ante-natal
New visits Revisits Total
Post-natal
New Visit Revisits Total
11
-
+9
Infant Health New Visits
Revisits Total
Infant Mortality Rate
3$
1950
1959
7 IT
1
3
9
3
2
34
18
26
17.418
44,473
3,019
51,89)
3,530
1,340
4,870
9,551 105,889 115,440
28,227
299,671
327,898
99.6
48.3