Port Health
Social Hygiene Service
The number of venereal diseases treated was 4,601 as compared with 5,018 in the previous year, a decrease of 8%. Approximately 2.9% of the cases came from the teenage group. The common venereal diseases were gonorrhoea (45%), syphilis (27%) and non-gonococcal urethritis (18%).
0.58% of the expectant mothers showed an initially positive serology but only 0.36% were found to be suffering from syphilis.
Figures 8 and 9 show the incidence of syphilis and gonorrhoea from 1964 to 1978.
New cases of leprosy numbered 74, representing a rate of 1.6 per 100,000 population.
The health nursing staff trace contacts and follow-up defaulters and those who are frequently exposed. Health education in social hygiene is also emphasised.
Family Health Service
The Family Health Service provides a comprehensive health care programme for women of child-bearing age and children from birth to five years. For maternal and child service, there are a total of 38 centres, 23 of which are full-time and the rest are part-time centres operating on a sessional basis. Family planning service is available in 41 centres, 6 of which are full-time while the rest are operated by mobile teams several times a week. Ante-natal and post-natal health scesions were held for monthers.
In 1978, over 90% of all newborns were brought to a centre for attention and advice on at least one occasion. Approximately 1% of new attendances were found to have abnormalities, such as congenital defects or effects of prematurity. A Comprehensive Observation Scheme to screen, detect and assess early developmental anomalies to eliminate or mininise resultant disabilities began in April 1978. Hitherto, over 50,000 children in the O S age group have been covered.
The total attendance was 1.6 million, a decrease of 0.3% over
that of 1977.
Industrial Health Service
The Service advises on matters affecting the health and safety of workers. There were 913. cases of decompression sickness and one case of trichloroethylene poisoning. Among the non-notifiable occupational diseases, 234 cases of silicosis and 1 case of gasing were recorded.
550 field surveys were conducted to evaluate working environments, including thermal comfort, ventilation, noises and lighting. Based on the findings, recommendations were made on measures to reduce industrial hazards and the promotion of industrial hygiene. A total of 6,860 laboratory analyses were conducted, including chemical analysis and urinalysis of government employees exposed to particular hazards.
There were 89,179 occupational injuries. In addition 278 occupational deaths were recorded. Industrial health officers participated in medical boards to assess the disability of 22,262 injured workers in relation to the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance.
The Fort Health Service enforces health control at the Airport and Port so as to prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases and undertakes other measures as required in the International Health Regulations. It also supervises the general sanitation of Airport and Port, maintenance of vaccination centres, maintenance of a medical clinic at the Airport and compilation and dissemination of epidemiological information by regular communication with the World Health Organisation.
The influx of Vietnamese refugees has put a heavy strain on the Service but there has been no major outbreak of communicable discases at the refugee camps.
In 1978, 4,445 ships arriving in Hong Kong were cleared. The number of vaccinations given at port health inoculation centres totalled 105,250.
Health Education
A Central Health Education Unit was established in April, 1978. The unit provides professional advice on health education, and serves as a resource unit providing technical aids and information. It plans, co-ordinatee and develops activities within the department and with other organisations.
A Health Education Co-ordinating Committee was also established to advise on programmes of activities and decide on priorities. The committee also provides general guidance to the Central Health Education Unit on the development and implementation of health education programmes,
The unit carried out a number of health education programues in 1978, including subjects on personal health, communicable diseases control, health of the elderly, hypertension and eye-care.
V.
HOSPITAL SERVICES
(Tables 1 - 53)
At the end of 1978, a total of 20,135 hospital beds were available in Hong Kong, excluding those maintained by the armed forces. These were made up as follows: 9,380 government, 8,347 government-assisted and 2,408 private, giving a ratio of 4.4 beds per 1,000 population. Development over the past years is shown in Figure 10.
Regionalisation of the Medical and Health services aims to ensure a more even use of government and government-assisted medical facilities and to provide patients with the treatment most appropriate to their clinical conditions. Though demand for services at the two regional hospitals (Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital) remains high, congestion has been relieved and bed occupancy rates of district hospitals have been brought to an optimum level of over 80%. The Princess Margaret Hospital which became fully operational in 1977 has eased to a certain extent the demand for services at Queen Slizabeth Hospital.
Casualty attendancea at government hospitals totalled 548,153, an increase of 8.4% compared with the previous year; the number of in-patients treated waa. 298,808, an increase of 63.
WI
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/Port