334. Evening sessions are held at seven of the larger clinics in the more densely populated areas. Lasting from 6 p.m. until midnight, they have proved to be very popular, providing as they do a service to the public outside the normal working hours.
335. During June 1959 it was possible to start clinic sessions on Sundays and public holidays at four centres in the urban area, two on each side of the harbour. These are designed to cater for patients requiring emergency or urgent attention and have been made possible by a re-arrangement of working hours during the week which will release staff for these emergency sessions. There has been an average attendance of 243 persons during each of these holiday sessions since this additional service was inaugurated.
336. In the rural mainland and island areas of the New Territories there are fourteen centres at which out-patient treatment is given; at seven of these one or more doctors are stationed permanently. There are two travelling dispensaries operating from Tai Po and Yuen Long respectively which visil a number of subsidiary centres on the mainland. The remoter villages on the Islands and certain points on the mainland are now served by two launches the M.Vs, 'Chee Hong' and 'Chee Wan', These are fitted out as 'floating clinics" and have a doctor, nurse and inoculator on the staff of each vessel. The M.V. Chee Wow', which is a twin screw launch, was donated by The Jockey Club and put into commission in October, 1959. Thus both the castern and western sea- boards of the New Territories now have a "floating clinic' service.
337. During June 1959 a medical officer was posted to the Shek Pik Reservoir Scheme on Lantau Island where a First Aid post is maintained and a general oul-patient service will be available shortly at the South Lantau Hospital. Regular daily visits are paid to the maternity home at Mai Wo in Silvermine Bay when there are also out- patient facilities.
338. At appendices 10, 11, 12 and 13 are details of the work done during 1959 at the out-patient departments of Government and Govern- ment-assisted institutions throughout Hong Kong,
SPECIALIST SERVICES
339. There are Government Specialist Clinical Units of medicine. surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, anaesthesiology, dentistry, neuro- surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, otorhino laryngology. pathology, psychiatry, radiotherapy, radiodiagnosis, social hygiene.
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thoracic surgery and tuberculosis. In addition the Professors and certain Senior Lecturers of the University Faculty of Medicine act as con- sultants in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, pathology and pediatrics. Certain of the Government Specialists act as Honorary Consultants to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in surgery. radiology, obstetrics and otorhinolaryngology. Part-time specialist services are also given to the Grantham Hospital by the Senior Tuberculosis Specialist, the Thoracic Surgeon and the Orthopaedic Surgeon.
RADIOLOGY
340. The Radiological Service, under the direction of the Senior Radiological Specialist, serves all Government medical and health institutions, reports on X-ray films taken at the hospitals of the Tung Wah Group and offers consultation facilities in all aspects of radiology for other institutions and, when requested, for private medical practi- tioners; it is also responsible for the teaching of medical radiology at the Hong Kong University. The service consists of 3 main branches. namely Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy and Medical Physics; the first two are headed by specialists and the third by an experienced Senior Physicist. Other activities include training for the Diploma of Medicinal Radiology (Diagnostic) & (Therapy) and the Membership of the Society of Radiographers. There is also a Clinical Photography unit.
Radio-diagnosis
341. This branch, which has its headquarters ut the Queen Mary Hospital, provides a diagnostic service in nine institutions and clinics in Hong Kong and Kowloon; in addition it now operates two Mobile Mass Radiography Units, the second of which was put into service in August, 1959. All aspects of radiodiagnostic work required by the Department are covered, including the radiological work for the tuber- culosis service. In addition it undertakes the routine X-ray work for the Medical Examination Board and the annual X-ray survey of all Government employees.
342. During the year 339.269 X-ray examinations were made on 190.719 patients. The total of examinations increased by 49,944 over the 1958 figure. The three image intensifiers installed during the previous year have been of great benefit in cutting down exposure to radiation without any loss in diagnostic detail.
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