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372. On the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Central Sterile Supply Department of that institution commenced operation. After certain teething troubles the service is now functioning satisfactorily, and its value and advantages are being weighed.
THE ALMONER SERVICE
373. Medico-social work, which is an essential adjunct to the curative medical services of Government, is the responsibility of the Principal Almoner and a staff of 4 Senior Almoners and 64 Almoners. Amongst the latter is included the first male almoner to be recruited in Hong Kong-a significant and welcome development.
374. Almoners are attached to all the larger hospitals, to certain of the main clinics in urban areas and to the Tuberculosis, Ophthalmic, Mental Health and Social Hygiene Services. The work of the Tuber- culosis Almoner Service is detailed in paragraphs 141 to 151 of this report.
375. In the larger hospitals and clinics the range of almoner services is wide and complex. The Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Units required particular attention as the many accident cases need guidance and assist- ance when ready for discharge. Schooling for handicapped children frequently presents difficulty and, due to the considerable help given by voluntary organizations, much has been accomplished in this sphere. The Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society provides a teacher for the children's wards at Queen Mary Hospital and maintains the Princess Alexandra School in the Crippled Children's Home at Kwun Tong. The Salvation Army Convalescent Home at Cheung Chau received children from the wards of the Queen Mary, Kowloon and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals during the year. For adults, the Kwun Tong Rehabilitation Centre provided accommodation and physical therapy for discharged orthopaedic cases and the Oxfam Hostel housed and fed destitute patients undergoing radiotherapy. The need for convalescent and long-term beds for patients who are ready for discharge from the acute hospitals remains urgent if the present rate of turnover in such hospitals is to be maintained.
376. In the Mental Health Service, the almoner's work is rather more specialized and time-consuming, requiring skilled case work with the family of the patients, particularly home visits which are useful in this type of social work.
377. Drug addicts coming forward for voluntary treatment have also required much individual social work. Almoners assist in the selection of voluntary patients for admission to the Treatment Centre at Castle Peak Hospital and deal with the problems arising in the families who are left at home during the patient's six months absence, as well as with other difficulties which may become apparent when the patient is ready for discharge.
378. The almoners attached to the Social Hygiene Service are chiefly concerned with patients suffering from leprosy. The problem of employ ment of these patients after clinical cure remains difficult as, apart from ostracism based on traditional fears, many of the patients are illiterate and unskilled.
379. In the Ophthalmic Service, the almoners attend on a full-time basis at the two ophthalmic centres-the Violet Peel Polyclinic and the Arran Street Eye Clinic. A visit is also made once weekly with the ophthal- mic team to the Yuen Long Clinic.
The in-service training of newly appointed almoners is organized by the Principal Almoner at the Harcourt Health Centre. Instruction and talks on medical social work are also given to student nurses, to medical students and to social studies students from the University of Hong Kong, to secondary school pupils and to other groups of potential social workers.
38). The Samaritan Fund administered by the Principal Almoner disbursed $19,103.35 during the financial year 1963-64. The main expend- iture was on fares for travel to enable patients to attend for treatment and, in the case of Castle Peak Hospital, for relatives to see doctors. This fund relics entirely on private donations without assistance from Government and expenditure is therefore limited.
382. The Leprosy Fund expended $9,027.70 in the year; the fund is used largely for assistance in paying rents for the accommodation of families of patients undergoing prolonged treatment in the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium.
383. Generous donations of free foods, made by C.A.R.E., the Catholic Relief Services, the Church World Service, the Lutheran World Service, the Boys and Girls Clubs Association and U.N.I.C,E,F., wcre available for distribution by the Almoners and are gratefully acknowl- cdged.
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