PHYSIOTHERAPY
395. The Headquarters of this service is at the Wan Chai Polyclinic on Hong Kong Island and there are physiotherapy units at the Queen Mary, Kowloon and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals. The Superintendent Physio- therapist, who is also a trained Tutor, has a staff of 18 physiotherapists and assistant physiotherapists. One of the physiotherapists is also a Tutor and it is planned to start a course of training, locally, in temporary premises and towards the end of 1960, based on the curriculum of the U.K. Chartered Society of Physiotherapists. There are at present two local girls on study leave in the United Kingdom working for the M.C.S.P.
396, Apart from the Wan Chai Centre, which was designed for physiotherapy, none of the units is accommodated in adequate premises. Much work has therefore to be done individually in the wards of the hospitals. Nevertheless considerable progress has been made and group therapy in classes has greatly expanded the scope of the work.
Poliomyelitis
397. At the Wan Chai Centre, the Orthopaedic Specialist holds a weekly clinic for poliomyelitis cases advising on treatment and the fitting of appliances. Classes are held for babies under two and their mothers so that exercises can be continued at home. There are also two classes for older children, one for those who can walk unaided and the other for those who need appliances: the aim of the latter is to get them fitted with an appliance and on their feet as soon as possible. A large post poliomyelitis clinic is also held at the Kowloon Hospital where a similar system is being developed. There are hydrotherapy tanks at both
centres.
General
398. There are now classes for hemiplegics, for arm disabilities including "frozen" shoulders, elbow classes for small boys with fractures and dislocations and classes for industrial hand injuries in young men and women. Cases of the latter referred by the Labour Department are seen once weekly by a Health Visitor from the Industrial Health Section. Individual treatments in cubicles are also carried out as required and the installation of overhead suspension at the various centres has greatly aided the rehabilitation of those suffering from injuries affecting individual muscle groups.
92
399. Physiotherapy sessions for patients suffering from leucoderma are now held weekly instead of fortnightly.
400.
The appointment of another physiotherapist specially trained in chest work has enabled more time to be devoted to the Thoracic Surgical Unit in the Queen Mary Hospital.
401. There is close co-operation with the occupational therapists in rehabilitation, particularly at Lai Chi Kok, where exercises are followed up by employment on machine work best suited to the re-education of the muscle groups affected.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
402. The Senior Occupational Therapist, assisted by a staff of three Occupational Therapists and nine Handicraft Instructors, has her head- quarters in the Queen Mary Hospital with units working in the Mental Hospital and Lai Chi Kok Hospital where the majority of "long stay" in-patients are accommodated.
403. A sum of $50,000 was allocated for the purchase of raw materials and miscellaneous stores, and articles produced were sold by the Welfare Shop in Kowloon and at the Annual Exhibition of Crafts at the Mental Hospital. In addition, the Controller of Stores purchased bamboo crutches, brooms, waste-paper baskets and other such items made by the patients. The total revenue received from the sale of articles was $17,100.80, of which $1.974 came from sales at the Annual Exhibition.
404. Incentive payments are made to the patients turning out articles which are sold, and this money is used to pay for entertainments such as film shows, Chinese operas, concerts and Chinese dinners.
405. The service is concerned mainly with in-patients but a few out- patient sessions have now been started. An innovation has been the start of 'relaxation exercises classes conducted by a voluntary helper one evening a week for mental hospital out-patients. In-patient relaxation exercises have been held daily in the Victoria Mental Hospital and have proved to be very popular with those patients who are able to join in. 406. Occupational Therapy for mental hospital patients is carried out both at the Victoria and Castle Peak Hospitals. At the former there has been a high standard and wide variety of work maintained. The female patients have made toys, puppets, quilts, tapestries, plastic and paper flowers, scrap books, rattan wastepaper baskets, and plastic and rallan shopping baskets. They have also done needlework. embroidery.
93