- 10 -
IX.
11
TRAINING PROGRAMMES
Medical Social Service
The rapid expansion of the medical and health services and the increasing emphasis on rehabilitation continued to make heavy demands on the medical social service, There were six divisions: Hong Kong, Kowloon, New Territories, mental health, chest and special skin, and narcotics. The total number of cases handled was 68,651, an increase of 36% compared with the previous year.
Services rendered included financial assistance, compassionate rehousing, counselling, placement in institutions and job-placement.
Physiotherapy
In
The total number of staff in the physiotherapy service is 124. 1977, 105,562 patients were given a total of 1,051,328 treatmente, an increase of approximately 21% in terms of patients and 24% in terms of treatments in comparison with 1976.
Occupational Therapy
A
There were altogether 11 units in the service which has a staff of 96. In 1977, 12,112 patients were given a total of 655,528 treatments, slight decrease of 3% in terms of patients and 4% in terms of treatments in comparison with 1976.
Prosthetic-Orthotic Service
A third Frosthetic Centre at South Kwai Chung Folyclinic was opened during the year. The number of patients treated during 1977 was 7,732 with a total attendance of 16,030.
Narcotics and Drugs
The Narcotics and Drug Administration is responsible for undertaking various activities in the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, research and health education in the danger of drug addiction.
Four methadone maintenance centres and 17 methadone detoxification centres for out-patient were in operation to cater for the demand for treatment facilities,
During 1977, the number of new admissions to the methadone maintenance and methadone detoxification centres were 1,616 and 3,536 respectively.
Medical Staff
(Tables 78 - 80)
Higher professional examinations were held in Hong Kong in 1977 by the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Royal Australasian College of Radiologiste.
During the year 1977/78, 32 doctors went abroad to further their studies in their respective fields; 10 of whom were funded by the Government.
Dental Staff
In the year, four scholarships were granted to local scholars to study dentistry at the Universities of Sydney and Singapore and nine graduates returned to Hong Kong. So far 87 scholars out of the 111 scholarships awarded in the past years have completed their professional training and returned.
Marsing Staff
750 general and 142 psychiatric student nurses were in training. undergoing three-year courses leading to Registration with the Nursing Board of Hong Kong, in the three respective Government Hospitals' Schools of Nursing « For the two-year courses leading to Enrolment with the Nursing Board of Hong Kong, there were 174 general and 91 psychiatric pupil murses,
There were 103 registered nurses undergoing a one-year post-basic training in midwifery, leading to registration with the Midwives Board of Hong Kong and 4 registered nurses commenced an 18-month post-basic course in Peychiatric Nursing, leading to Registration (Psy.) with the Nursing Board of
15 registered nurses commenced a 9-month course in public health nursing and 10 enrolled nurses underwent a 6-month course in basic health procedures.
In-service training courses were given in specialty subjects including geriatric nursing, orthopaedic nursing, paediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, midwifery refresher course, and the nursing management of surgical and medical emergencies. In addition the newly designed "developmental screening" 3-month course for registered nurses commenced in January 1978 and the firest group of 20 candidates successfully completed this course in March, 1978.