The comprehensive observation scheme introduced in 1978 to detect and assess early developmental almortalities, and where necessary to provide follow-up treatment is now available at family health centres. Children attending this centres say, if their conditions warrant it, be referred to child sssessment centres for further examination by various specialist in the field, including paediatricians, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, audiology technicians and medical social workera. The system enables rehabilitation procema to start as early as possible.
Arran Street Multidisciplinary Child Assessment Centre
The centre serves children from birth to 12 years old. It provides comprehensive physical, psychological and social assessment as well as therapy, parental counselling and appropriate placement of the child in the various institutions and centres run by the Government and the voluntary agencies. The centre also works closely with the special child care centre of the Social Welfare Department and the Special Education Service Centres of the Education Department.
In 1981, 1,419 cases were assessed and 4,170 case sessions were held. An expansion programme to set up six more much child assecament centrem on a regional basis is in progress.
Social Hygiene and Special Skin Service
Venereal Disease Service
The incidence of venereal disease recorded in 1981 was 7,601 compared with 6,302 in 1980. About 5.17% of these cases occurred in the teenage (under 15) group. The common sexually transmitted diseases vore gonorrhea (44%), syphilie (13%) and non-gonococcal urethritis (12%), The incidence of other sexually transmitted diseases, a.g. chancroid and lympho-granuloma venereum rensined low.
Antenatal blood tests carried out routinely in all governmental and non-governmental antenatal centres indicated an initial positive rate of 0.34% compared with 0.58% in the previous year. Of the 101 positive cases referred to the social hygiene clinics only 68 canes (67%) were found to be suffering from syphilia.
The health staff were involved in epidemiological activitiem auch es contact tracing and follow-up of defaultera and those at risk of frequent exposure,
Health education is social hygiene was also emphasised through frequent health talka and the issuing of pamphlets and postera to the public.
Leprosy Service
There has been a gradual fall in the incidence of leprosy during the past 2 decades and this trend continued in 1981. The maber of new cases treated in 1981 was 55 representing an incidence rate of 1.1 per 100,000 population. The ratio of male to female cases was 2.7 to 1 and about 38% of the cases were tuberculoid cas 68 »
/All leprosy ****
All leprosy cases needing in-patient treatment are admitted into Lai Chi Kok Roapitel and in 1981 there were 10 new admissions.
Dermatology Service
As in
The total number of attendance in the skin clinica was 54,871 including 18,322 new cases. The mix commoneat skin diseases encountered were eczema, tinea, seabies, acne, verruca and neurodermatitis. previous years there vas a very low incidence of skin cancer.
Narcoties and Drugs Administration
The department runs a methadone maintenance as well as detoxification scheme for drug addicts. There are at present 22 methadone clinics over Hong Kong operating daily including Sundays and Publis Holidays. In August 1980, « central laboratory for urine testing was opened and operated by the Government Chemiet, providing a fast and efficient analytical support to the methadone clinice. The average daily attendance of the services ranges from 6,000 to 7,000.
Occupational Health and Hygiene
The Occupational Health Division, formerly known as the Industrial Health Division of the Labour Department, provides an advisory aervice to Government and industry on matters concerning the health of workers and the hygiene of the workplace and a supervisory function in occupational health standards and practice. The aim of occupational health is to maintain and improve the physical and mental well-being of workers, protecting them against any hasard arising from their employment and helping in their adjustment to their tanke.
A prime responsibility of the division is to investigate notified occupational diseases and potential hazards reported by the factory inspectorate and to determine preventive action. Surveys and monitoring of processes involving possible physical, chemical or biological hazards are also undertaken, The medical examination of personnel exposed to ionizing radiating, government divers and compressed air workers is another activity aimed at ensuring that workers are physically fit for their tank and that the work does not adversely affect their health.
Occupational health officers and health nurses of the division are also involved in the assessment and rehabilitation of injured workera and the staffing of medical boards required to implement the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and deal with cases of silicosis under the Pneumoconiosia (Compensation) Ordinance.
The laboratory of the Occupational Health Division carries out analytical testa on biological samples from workera' urine, blood, and other smples from the working environment such as concentration of silica, It also assists in conducting analyses required by the general air pollution monitoring programme in Hong Kong.
The Occupational
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