has been a steady reduction in the still birth rates in both Government and private maternity homes.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICE
(Tables 15-16)
55. The public appreciation of the value of these services in the maintenance of health amongst infants and expectant and nursing mothers is again reflected by the fact that 85.4% of the children born had attended a centre on at least one occasion: the corresponding figure for 1969 was 85.2%. Approximately 1% of the new attendants at the various centres were found to have abnormalities; of these, the majority again 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 ante-natal care as reflected in the average attendances per person at ante-natal sessions and by the low maternal mortality rate.
56. In May 1970, the subsidiary centre in Hung Hom was converted into a full time centre. In August 1970. the sessions in Sha Tau Kok were transferred to the newly leased premises of the Sha Tau Kok Dispensary. The maternity cases of that area are still covered by the Shek Wu Hui Maternity Home. In March 1971, four new subsidiary centres began to operate in the existing clinic premises in the outlying islands of Peng Chau, Silver Mine Bay, Lamma Island and Tai O. In the same month the Western Maternal and Child Health Centre, one of the oldest centres established in 1939, was transferred to the newly opened David Trench Rehabilitation Centre. No maternity ward is attached to the latter centre because the Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital is in the vicinity.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
57. The Medical and Health Department provides an advisory service to the Education Department on matters relating to environmental health and hygiene in schools. Inspection of schools is carried out by School Health Inspectors with special regard to lighting, ventilation and sanitary arrangements. Immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, cholera and smallpox was carried out in the schools during the year by staff under the direction of Area Health Officers. The Government Chest Service is responsible for tuberculin testing and B.C.G. vaccina- tion in schools.
20
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE BOARD
(Table 37)
58. The School Medical Service is administered by the School Medical Service Board, an independent statutory body incorporated by Ordinance and operated by private medical practitioners. Remunera- tion of the doctors is on a per capita basis, half the annual fee being paid by the participating pupil and half contributed by Government. which also meets the Board's administrative expenses.
59. On 31st March, 1971, the number of pupils participating was 43,663, from 704 schools, compared with 41,244 pupils from 672 schools on the same date in the previous year. Doctors participating in the scheme numbered 183 compared with 195 in the previous year.
DENTAL SERVICE (Table 38)
60. The Dental Service provides dental care for all monthly-paid Government officers and their dependants, and Government pensioners, and offers a limited specialized treatment for in-patients of Government Hospitals, prisoners, inmates of Training Centres, and emergency treatment for members of the general public.
61. Fluoridation of the Colony's urban water supplies began in 1961. The rate of carichment was formerly at two levels, being 0.7 parts of fluoride per million in summer and 0.9 parts per million during winter. In May 1967 the concentration was increased to a constant level of I part per million throughout the year. This level is to be maintained in future and is the result of a decision arrived at after consideration of more recent work on the study of optimum fluoride levels for community water supplies. The cost of this operation is now estimated at about 12.1 cents per person receiving fluoridated water per annum. Dental health education plays an important part in com- bating dental disease in the Colony, and the Dental Service continued to take advantage of major educational exhibitions to distribute information and advice on the maintenance of dental health.
62. Although no training in dentistry is undertaken in Hong Kong, a programume of overseas training is maintained by Government, and during the year three scholarships were awarded to students for study in the University of Otago in New Zealand and one scholarship for study in the University of Sydney in Australia. In-service training in dental technology is available for students in Government employment
21