243. The New Territories contain fifteen out-patient centres, in seven of which one or more doctors are stationed permanently. The more remote areas of the New Territories are served by two mobile dispen- saries and two 'floating clinics': the latter are launches, donated by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, which provide curative and preventive facilities to isolated centres on the eastern and western coasts and on adjacent islands. At the end of March 1961, the first of a series of experimental visits by helicopter was undertaken by a small medical team to certain isolated villages on the eastern seaboard where direct sea-to-shore communication is often impossible owing to weather conditions.
244. Reference has already been made to the increasing pressure on Government out-patient clinics. This pressure has been no less severc on such clinics maintained by Government-assisted institutions or by the various missionary and charitable organizations.
245. At Appendices 12 and 13 are details of the work done during 1960 at the out-patient departments of Government and Government- assisted institutions throughout Hong Kong.
SPECIALIST SERVICES
246. There are Government Specialist Clinical Units of medicine. surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, anaesthesiology, dentistry, neuro- surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology. pathology, psychiatry, radiodiagnosis, radiotherapy, social hygiene, thoracic surgery and tuberculosis. In addition, the Professors and certain Senior Lecturers of the University Faculty of Medicine act as consultants in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, pathology and paediatrics. Certain of the Government Specialists act as Honorary Consultants to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and others give part- time services as lecturers in the Faculty of Medicine.
RADIOLOGY
247. The Radiological Service, under the direction of the Senior Radiological Specialist, maintains radiodiagnostic, radiotherapeutic and medical physics facilities. Such facilities are provided mainly for Govern- ment hospitals and clinical services, but consultant services are readily available to certain Government-assisted hospitals and, on request, to private medical practitioners. In addition, the Service undertakes the instruction of medical students of Hong Kong University in the basic
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principles of radiology and it conducts in-service training courses for both radiologists and radiographers; such courses are fully recognized by the various examining bodies in the United Kingdom.
Radiodiagnosis
248. This branch provides a diagnostic service in nine Government hospitals and clinics in the urban areas, operates two mobile mass radiography units, and provides assistance to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the Pok Oi Hospital and the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. All aspects of radiodiagnostic work required by the Medical and Health Department are covered, including the radiological work for the Tuberculosis Service; the uumber of X-ray examination performed during 1960 increased by 9% compared with 1959.
249. During the year a radiodiagnostic department with three fully- equipped X-ray rooms was opened in the Fockey Club Clinic, Sai Ying Pun, together with a smaller department attached to the Chest Clinic in the same building. Much-needed extensions to the X-ray department of Kowloon Hospital relieved some of the pressure resulting from the rapid increase of work in that institution.
Radiotherapy
250. This section is basedt entirely at the Queen Mary Hospital except for a recently-completed superficial radiotherapy unit in the Jockey Club Clinic, Sai Ying Pun. Deep X-ray and radiocobalt machines are used, a large stock of radium and radiocobalt needles is beld and facilities are available for the use of radio-isotopes in the diagnosis and Treatment of disease.
251. The major part of the work is amongst patients suffering from malignant disease, most of whom are treated as out-patients owing to the shortage of beds. Details of the work performed during the year are given in Table 29.
TABLE 29
WORK OF THE RADIOTHERAPEUTIC SECTION 1959-60
No. of new malignancy cases seen No. of new benign cases seen Total attendances for treatment Cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma Cases of carcinoma cervix uteri Cases of carcinoma breast
19.59
1960
584
962
217
377
11.865
15.572
345
318
152
110
134
BE
59