10
11
Prosthetic-Orthotics
The increase in industrial and traffic accidents has created additional work for the staff. To ensure that the artificial limbs and orthopaedic appliances available in Hong Kong are the best possible, and that the method of fabrication and limb-fitting kept abreast of development, research is being carried out to discover the best materials and technique suited to local needs.
Narcotics and Drugs
A Narcotics and Drug Administration Division headed by an Assistant Director was formed to undertake various activities in the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts and research and health education in the dangers of drug addiction.
The Methadone Treatment Pilot Scheme continued its operation into the third year, In December 1974 it became necessary to open three other methadone treatment centres for outpatients spread throughout different localities, each with a maximum capacity to treat 1,000 patients. Up to the end of March 1975, the total number of patients registered at the centres vas 2,002.
An overseas expert was invited to assess the problem in Hong Kong and submitted his report and recommendations on the subject to government in February 1975.
VIII.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTED HOSPITALS
The Government provides financial assistance annually to 28 hospitals or institutions with a total of 8,213 beds. The total subvention for the year 1974-75 was $156,491,473 recurrent and $9,987,323 special expenditure. Table 77 gives a summary of the subvented amount to each individual organisation.
During the year under review, construction of the 12-storey Centenary Block in the Tung Wah Hospital was completed. This building has 431 beds with a casualty department, X-ray facilities, operating theatres and single quarters for medical officers. Planning for the 11-storey clinical pathology building at Kwong Wah Hospital is continued.
The Hay Ling Chau Leprosarium, maintained by the Leprosy Mission, Hong Kong Auxiliary, vas closed in January 1975 due to the decreasing incidence of leprosy in recent years and the modern concept and method of treatment for this disease.
În line with the recommendation in the Medical White Paper to secure a more even use of hospital beds an agreement was reached between the Eospital Board of the Buddhist Hospital and the Government in October 1974 to transfer patients to this hospital for convalescence, 101 beds were allocated for this purpose and the Government had to pay $8 to the hospital for each bed-day occupied.
Medical Staff
IX.
TRAINING PROGRAMMES
Higher professional examinations are held in Hong Kong by the Royal Colleges of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology, the Faculty of Anaesthesia and the Faculty of Radiologists.
Twenty government doctors were enabled by various financial schemes, besides full pay study leave, to acquire higher qualifications in their respective fields overseas.
Dental Staff
In the year, five scholarships have been granted to local scholars to study dentistry at the Universities of Sydney and Singapore and four graduates returned to Hong Kong. So far 74 scholars out of the 101 scholarships awarded in the past years have completed their professional training and returned.
One dental officer attended a course for Dental Health Tutorship and a dental nurse was sent on a 12 month dental murse tutor course.
Mursing Staff
There vere 850 general student murses and 100 psychiatric student nurses undergoing a three-year course training in the three respective government hospital schools of mursing. Whereas for the two-year courses leading to enrolment, there were 184 general pupil nurses and 78 psychiatric pupil nurses being trained in the two schools. There were 76 student midwives taking the two-year midwifery course at Tsan Yuk Hospital. Ia addition, 75 registered nurses vere undergoing post-basic training in midwifery.
18 registered nurses completed a 9-month course in public health nursing. 7 students were being trained as health auxiliaries. An experimental six-month course has commenced to train enrolled nurses in basic public health procedures.
In-service training courses on special subjects, such as operating theatre techniques, infectious diseases, emergency and accident mursing, midwifery and management were organised.