The Occupational Health Officers and Health Visitors and Nurses of the division are also involved in the assessment and rehabilitation of injured workers and staffing the medical boards required to implement the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and also deal similarly with cases of silicosia under the Pneumoconiosia (Compensation) Ordinance.
The laboratory of the Occupational Health Division carries out analytical procedures on biological samples from workers' urine, blood, etc. and the working environment, e.g. concentration of silica. It also assists in analysis required by the general air pollution monitoring programme in Hong Kong.
In 1981, there vere 214 cases of decompression sickness, 15 cases of contact dermatitis, 3 cases of lead poisoning and 3 cases of poisoning by chemical notified. Among the non-notifiable occupational diseases, 446 cases of silicosim were recorded.
786 field surveys and 5,030 laboratory analyses were conducted, representing respectively an increase of 7% and a decrease of 38% aa compared with those of 1980.
There were 82,495 occupational injuries reported. Of these, 69,158 non-fatal and 270 fatal cases were processed under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance. In connection with workmen's compensation claime, 376 and 21,216 cases were assessed by occupational health officers and medical assessment boards respectively.
Health Education
The Central Health Education Unit provides professional advice on health education, and serves as a resource unit to give technical aide and information. It plans, co-ordinates and develope activities within the department and with other organisations.
The unit works to a Health Education Co-ordinating Committee set up in the Department to adrise on programmes of activities and deci de on priorities. The committee also provides general guidance and assistance to the unit on the development and implementation of health education programmes.
Major projecta during the year are on the health hazard of smoking and included an anti-cancer campaign organised with the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society and the Stoma Association of Hong Kong, followed by an anti-smoking campaign co-sponsored by the Hong Kong Cardiology Society and the Hong Kong Heart Foundation Ltd. Co-ordinated efforts with the Education Department reaulted in the introduction of anti-ancking messages into the school curriculum and to assist schools in organising their own anti-smoking projects and campaigns,
In response to the International Year of Disabled Persons 4 a major mental health campaign was organised with various organisations. Events included exhibitions, public lectures, seminars, workshops and radio programmes.
/Dental Service
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Dental Service
A school dental care service was introduced since 1980. The service provides regular dental examinations and simple dental treatment to primary school children. The response from parents to this aspect of preventive dentistry has been very encouraging. At the end of its second year of service the number of participants from Primary I and II school children has reached some 75,500. The participation rate has increased to 41% as compared with 29%
To enable in the first year of the service. the scheme to cover eventually all the primary school children, six more achool dental clinics will be built in addition to the exiating two school dental clinica nov in operation.
With the opening of the Prince Philip Dental Hospital, training in dentistry is now available in Hong Kong. The school ham made ita first intake of 60 students in September 1980. It is expected that starting from 1985 about 60 qualified dentists will be turned out each year. The Tang Shiu Kin Dental Therapists Training School offers an intensiva 3-year training programme for Student Dental Therapiata, The first batch of 31 Student Dental Therapiata has successfully completed their course and have been posted to the Argyle Street School Dental Clinic since February 1982.
The Government Dental Service provides dental care for all monthly paid government servante and their dependants as well ma simple dental treatment for the inmates of penal institutions and specialist treatment for patients in Government hospitale. Emergency treatment is also provided to the public in a number of district clinics while the Prince Philip Dental Hospital has been providing a limited out-patient service to the public since October 1981.
Port Health
The Port Health Office enforces health control at the Hong Kong International Airport and in the Territory's water, to prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases and to carry out other health measures required under the International Health Regulations.
The health staff maintains a close surveillance on the food catering services to the international airlines to ensure that the food and water supplied by the flight kitchen are clean and safe.
Epidemiological information are exchanged regularly with the World Health Organisation in Geneva and ita Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila and with the neighbouring countries.
Refugees
The number of new refugees has decreased dramatically throughout the year.
However, in order to prevent the importation of quarantinable diseases and the spread of communicable disease amongst the refugees and to the general population, strict quarantine measures were imposed and vigorous immunization campaigns and health education programmes were
/conducted in ..........
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