ultimate goal of discharge back into the community, Severe residual disabilities, particularly in such conditions as paraplegia and hemiplegia, pose serious problems. In Queen Elizabeth Hospital there was no significant change in the method of work during the year, while in Queen Mary Hospital the working condition was improved with the addition of one office room for the service. The work in Kowloon Hospital re- sembled that in the other general hospitals, but with a greater proportion of problems relating to destitute or seriously handicapped patients for whom discharge plans must be made. In Lai Chi Kok Hospital there was a reduction in the number of patients dealt with during the year, partly due to a decrease in the number of admissions of poliomyelitis
cases.
127. In the Mental Health Service the demands for fully trained Psychiatric Social Workers and the scope of work at Castle Peak Hos- pital remain great. During the year the service had been expanded to include social planning for a category of patients formerly the concern of the Prisons Department, and a Medical Social Worker was assigned to the Drug Addiction Unit to follow up the discharged drug addicts of Castle Peak Hospital.
128. In the leprosy service methods of rehabilitation remained the same and co-operation with the Hay Ling Chau Leprosarium was main- tained. In the fields of veneral diseases and dermatology, long interviews with patients were needed to release tensions and uncover hidden anxieties which play so important a part in some dermatological con- ditions. In other specialist sections such as ophthalmology, the Medical Social Workers worked on the referral system, and constantly pruned their activities in order to obtain the best possible results. At Tsan Yuk Hospital child care assistance is the highest among other social help, and 76 babies from tuberculosis mothers were placed by the Medical Social Worker in various nurseries for temporary care, while arrange- ments were made for another 27 babies to be looked after by tuberculosis-free relatives.
PHYSIOTHERAPY
(See table 63)
129. Demand for physiotherapy services continued to rise, and there is increasing concentration on education and training of the handicapped in re-adapting themselves to day-to-day activities. In the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Department there was an increase in the number of cases
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treated in the hydrotherapy pool and in the number of cerebral palsy patients. A new class for bemiplegic patients had been started. The number of treatments and clinics held at the Kowloon Jockey Club Rehabilitation Centre had increased, while in the Wanchai Polyclinic cervical spondylosis constituting the largest proportion of the cases treated.
130. The Physiotherapy Training School had an intake of 11 new students during the year, making a total of 21 students now being trained in the school. For the first time 6 male students were recruited. Four students graduated from the school in August, 1966.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
(See table 64)
[31. Owing to the pressure on the acute hospitals and to the resulting short patient-stay, the main energies of the Occupational Therapy sub- department are concentrated on the hospitals for long-term patients. particularly the Castle Peak Hospital for psychiatric cases. Progress has however been considerably bandicapped by difficulties in recruitment of trained staff.
132. At Castle Peak Hospital the occupational facilities have been increased due to extra space being converted to a unit for light assembly work. Industrial "out-work' consisting of contracts with factories, con- tinues as a valuable adjunct to the treatment programme and is being expanded. Government orders for domestic, hospital and office equip ment continued. The printing department has progressed and produced two Hospital magazines with articles from patients and staff. In the Hong Kong Psychiatric Centre a carefully-planned programme of re- habilitation is also carried out for patients attending the comte.
133. Work in the Kowloon Jockey Club Rehabilitation Centre had shown a further increase during the year and the aim of treatment in the centre is to assist in returning patients to their previous employment. or where there is not possible, to an alternative means of livelihood. The ward work in the Kowloon Hospital itself has progressed salis- factorily as demonstrated by the appreciable increase in the total number of treatments given during the year.
134. The Occupational Therapy Units at Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals continued their activities and treat- ments given to patients covered orthopaedic, tuberculosis, surgical and
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