separate surveys were carried out during the year in addition to routine medical surveillance and environmental investigations.
78. Environmental surveys included the measurement of silica dust în quarries, an X-Ray survey of quarry workers and the investigation of thermal comfort, noise and lighting in offices and workshops. Statutory clinical examinations of radiation workers continued to be conducted by Medical Officers seconded to the Labour Department who also followed up cases of occupational disease and examined workers exposed to lead, chromic acid and fluoride.
79. Late in the year the Workmen's Compensation Section became part of the Industrial Health Division and this has led to closer co- operation and improved co-ordination between the officers of the Compensation Section and the Health Visitors carrying out the case work of injured workers. An increase in the number of attendances at Kwong Wah Hospital made it necessary to station an Industrial Health Nurse there in the mornings and this arrangement has resulted in benefit and convenience to injured workers. Two surveys of occupational accidents were carried out during the year. One concerned injuries caused by press machinery and the other was a follow-up survey of a number of cases assessed at 10% or more permanent disability.
80. Twenty-two stations measuring monthly levels of sulphur dioxide by means of lead peroxide candles were set up in various localities throughout the Colony. These were in addition to the four existing stations which measure daily levels of sulphur dioxide and smoke. High concentrations of sulphur dioxide were demonstrated from the Hung Hom and Queen Elizabeth Hospital stations but elsewhere in the Colony levels of pollution were generally low. Preliminary investigations into the extent of carbon monoxide pollution from motor vehicles, which included the measurement of carbon monoxide in ambient air at street level and the estimation of carboxyhaemoglobin in policemen engaged in traffic duties, have so far indicated that such pollution presents as yet no special hazard in Hong Kong.
HEALTH EDUCATION
81. A better appreciation by the Colony's population of the basic principles of personal and environmental hygiene and the prevention of disease continues to be the main health objective. A very wide field is
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covered by many branches of the Medical and Health Department, and the co-operation of all voluntary bodies interested in such topics is actively sought. During the year the Department co-operated in number of exhibitions, notably the Fisheries Exhibition in February 1968, by producing displays on various aspects of preventive medicine.
IV. WORK OF THE MEDICAL DIVISION
(See tables 4447)
82. At the end of 1967, there was a total of 13,273 beds available in all hospitals in Hong Kong excluding those hospitals maintained by Her Majesty's Armed Forces; in addition there were 484 beds in Govern- ment Maternity Homes and 498 beds in private maternity and nursing homes and the total of 14,255 beds represents 3.7 beds per thousand of the population. The figures quoted are based on the normal bed capacities of the hospitals, but in some cases the actual bed occupancy is much higher as camp beds are often used whenever the need arises. Development over the past 10 years is illustrated in Figure 11 and it will be noted that the bed provision in 1967 represents an increase of nearly 90% over the bed provision in 1958,
HOSPITAL BEDS IN
M
QUEPUMENT
FIGURE 11
HOSPITAL BEDS 1958 · 1967
TOTAL
"GOMERA MINT
1
TEAR
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