49. Case finding continued at a high level, particularly in antenatal cases where an initial positive serology rate of 17% was observed. Of the 296 cases referred from antenatal clinics only 205, 1.. 69% were actually suffering from syphilis. Contact tracing particularly of infectious syphilis was continued.
Leprosy
50. New cases of leprosy treated numbered 160, representing a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 of the population. Tuberculoid manifestations pre- dominated, comprising 59% of all cases. Of the infectious cases, 53 were admitted to the Hay Ling Chau Leprosarium maintained by the Leprosy Mission-Hong Kong Auxiliary, with which the Social Hygiene Service maintains close liaison.
51. During recent years there has been some advance in overcoming the prejudice against employment of cured leprosy patients and, to this end, great attention is paid by the Service towards the prevention of disabilities in tuberculoid cases.
Dermatology
$2. There was a high incidence of contact dermatitis, eczema, neurodermatitis and tinea. The incidence of skin cancers was very low. A clinical study of cases of tuberculosis of the skin and fungus diseases was undertaken. The result revealed that in Hong Kong cases show several features of epidemiological and clinical interest. A new fungus was isolated in the Social Hygiene Laboratory.
PORT HEALTH
(See table 30)
53. The Port Health Administration continued its routine duties in respect of prevention of the introduction of quarantinable infectious diseases, the sanitary control of ports of entry, the provisions of facilities as required by the International Sanitary Regulations and a regular exchange of epidemiological information with the World Health Organization as well as with ports and airports in other countries.
54. With the increasing importance of Hong Kong as a tourist and an international transit centre, the work of the Service has gradually increased during recent years. The increase of shipping entering the port has resulted in an extension of the quarantine service to give a full
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24-hour daily cover. This service also pays special attention to travellers to nearby ports of Macau and Kwangtung province and to vessels from plague infected regions.
DISTRICT MIDWIFERY SERVICE
(See table 31)
55. Over 99% of births took place in institutions, either hospitals or maternity homes. Of these approximately 20% were in maternity centres attached to Government clinics and 25.8% were attended by midwives in private practice, while the remainder took place in Government, Government-subsidized and private hospitals.
56. Owing to the difficulties of domiciliary delivery under existing bousing conditions. it has been the Department's policy to provide maternity beds in Health Centres. The maternity home in Sha Tau Kok Clinic has been suspended since June 1967. Maternity cases in the area are delivered in Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club Clinic. The Chai Wan Maternity Home with 26 beds was opened in December 1968. Thus 26 additional maternity beds were added to this service.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICE
(See tables 32-33)
$7. There is increasing public appreciation of the value of these services in the maintenance of health amongst infants and expectant and nursing mothers, and 84.4% of children born attended a centre on at least one occasion. The corresponding figure for 1967 was 78.8%. Total attendances of children aged 0-5 years showed an increase of 12.46% as compared with 1967. Approximately 1% of the new attend- ances at Infant Welfare Centres were found to have abnormalities. Of these the majority were either congenital defects or the effects of pre- maturity. A further encouraging trend is the increasing appreciation by expectant mothers of the need for regular antenatal care as reflected in increasing attendances al antenatal sessions and the low maternal mortality rate.
58. The subsidiary maternal and child health centre in Sham Shui Po Dispensary was permanently suspended because three full-time centres are in operation in the area. The Chai Wan Centre was transferred to the new clinic and maternity home in December, 1968.
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