particularly the Castle Peak Hospital for psychiatric cases. Progress has however been considerably handicapped by difficulties in recruitment of trained staff,
131. At Casik Peak Hospital industrial 'out-work' consisting of contracts with factories, continues as a valuable adjunct to the treat- ment programme and is being expanded. Governmcot orders for brooms and other domestic, bospital and office equipment continued. An exhibi- tion stall was erected at the Agricultural and Fisheries Department Annual Show at which finished articles were sold. In the Hong Kong Psychiatric Centre a carefully-planned programme of rehabilitation is also carried out for patients attending the centre.
132. In the Kowloon Jockey Club Rehabilitation Centre, the patients treated are mainly orthopaedic cases or amputees, and the emphasis has remained in terms of remedical exercises, pre-vocational evaluation and training and instruction in the routine activities of daily life.
133. The Occupational Therapy Units at Queen Elizabeth and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals continued their activities, while the work of the unit at Kowloon Hospital has expanded considerably with the re-opening of all wards. Orthopaedic patients constitute the larger percentage of the cases treated, but in addition treatment was provided for general medical, dermatological, burns, neurosurgical and radio-therapy cases.
ORTHOPAEDIC AND PROSTHETIC APPLIANCES
134. The production of appliances rose by 29 per cent during the year to a total of 2,018 as compared with 1,561 in 1964. In spite of this, output still falls somewhat short of demand.
135. The research projects under study in the previous year were completed satisfactorily and are now standard procedures in the Unit. Further work has been undertaken in the design of a temporaty prosthesis and two satisfactory designs have been produced, making it possible to supply an above or below knee amputee with a temporary prosthesis within 24 hours. In previous years, work has been directed mainly to the problems of the lower extremity. Study is now being. directed to the upper extremity, particularly with regard to the design of temporary prosthesis, Guing of very short above and below elbow stumps, and appliances for deformities of the hand.
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MEDICAL EXAMINATION BOARD
(See tables 65-66)
136. This section performs medical examinations of new entrants to Government employment and to the Essential Service Corps. Although the numbers of persons classified as unfit on account of tuberculosis continued to fall, that disease remained the primary reason for non- acceptance of applicants on medical grounds, being responsible for twenty-five out of the thirty-one classifications as 'anfit in each thousand examinations.
HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLY
137. This section, which is responsible for the routine supply and lay administration of medical institutions, experienced continued staff- ing difficulties during the year. Not only was difficulty encountered in recruiting experienced Hospital Secretaries but the wastage cale among male minor staff remained high.
138. Provision of transport services presented problems when routine requirements were augmented by the need for additional vehicles during mass immunization campaigns, and by the continued expansion of the Departmental Central Laundry. The Laundry itself has overcome most of its teething troubles and is now working to a high degree of efficiency although lack of balance in the major plant has created delays and backlogs which can be expected to continue until extra plant has been installed and the balance restored.
139. Castle Peak Hospital continued to experience minor difficulties with interruptions in water, electricity and telephone services. Installa- tion of the emergency generator and power lines has been completed and the system works well.
Staff Welfare
140. The Staff Welfare Association recorded a satisfactory year despite paucity of members. In addition to maintaining various welfare schemes and educational facilities to aid members and their families, the Association was active in a number of sporting events, including what has become an annual visit to play football against the Macau Medical Department with a return match later in the year in Hong Kong. A football competition for the Teng Shield, presented by the Director of Medical and Health Services, was successfully organized, the Shield being presented to the winning team at the Association's Annual Dinner and Presentation of Prizes.
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