IV
Health Services
Tuberculosis and Chest Services
The Hong Kong Tuberculosis and Chest Services continue to provide care to the public who have respiratory problems requiring investigations, hospital management, clinic care and treatment. Special efforts have been spent in the prevention and control of tuberculosis, including case finding, diagnosis, treatment and BCG vaccination.
Tuberculosis remains an important disease in Hong Kong. In spite of continuing efforts and dynamic programmes in the fight against the disease, the total number of notifications remained high at 7 432 in 1986, representing a notification rate of 134.3 per 100 000 population. The factors which accounted for the high level in notifications are an increased awareness of the disease by the public and an increased response to the case finding measures. A further important factor is the influx of population from other parts of the region where the incidence of the disease is higher.
Death from tuberculosis, however, continued to fall from 409 in 1985 to 407 in 1986 and the death rate from 7.5 to 7.4 per 100 000 population and representing about 1.6% of the total registered deaths in the year.
Attendances at Government chest clinics were 726 295 compared with 763 420 in 1985. B vaccination remains a recommended programme and covers nearly all the newborns.
During 1986, 91 396 patients attended the Government chest clinics of which 45 958 were new patients and diagnosed to be suffering from some kinds of chest diseases, namely pulmonary tuberculosis (11.0%), bronchitis not specified as acute or chronic (8.7%), pneumonia (3.6%), acute bronchitis (3.0%), malignant neoplasm of trachea and bronchus (1.7%), bronchiectasis (1.4%), chronic bronchitis (0.6%), emphysema (0.4%) and asthma (0.3%).
In the year 1986, 179 silicotic patients were assessed at the Pneumoconiosis Clinic, and 197 were compensated.
Family Health Services
The Family Health Services of the Medical & Health Department operates 44 Maternal and Child Health Centres, providing a comprehensive health programme for women of child-bearing age and children up to five years old.
Ante-natal and post-natal medical consultation as well as family planning advice are offered to women. Immunization programmes are carried out against tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles and rubella. During 1986, about 92% of newborn bables attended the Family Health Centres,
Under the comprehensive observation scheme, children are assessed at different ages to detect early developmental abnormalities. If necessary, they are referred for specialist care or the child assessment service for further examination.
Health education is an essential component in the Family Healthy Services. In addition to health talks and counselling on child care offered at centres, health education for expectant mothers are also extended to Government hospitals, with particular emphasis on the promotion of breastfeeding. A telephone service is available to answer enquiries from the public.
Child Assessment Service
The Arran Street Child Assessment Centre serves children from birth to 12 years old. It provides comprehensive physical, psychological and social assessment as well as therapy, parental counselling and referral for appropriate placement of the child in the various institutions and centres run by the Government and voluntary agencies. These include the nurseries and special child care centre subvented by the Social Welfare Department and the special schools run by the Education Department.
Clinic.
Increasing numbers of pre-school children were referred to the A very common problem was that of speech delay, most of which have to be dealt with by a team consisting of developmental paediatrician, clinical psychologist and speech therapist.
The Clinic also operates a Toy Library, which aims to enhance the development of children through toys and play. The emphasis is on parental involvement and guidance on the selection of suitable toys for play with their bandicapped children.
In 1986, 902 cases were assessed and 6 114 case sessions were recorded. A second child assessment centre at Duchess of Kent Hospital was near completion by the end of the year. Six more centres have been planned for the next decade.
Social Hygiene and Special Skin Services
Sexually Transmitted Disease Services
Social hygiene clinics provide free medical consultation, advice and investigation for patients suffering from sexually transmitted diseases. There are a total of eight full-time and five part-time clinics.
The number of new patients seen in 1986 was 31 805 compared with 35 288 in 1985. The number of total attendance was 180 072 compared with 184 534 in 1985.
11 850 new cases of sexually transmitted diseases were diagnosed in 1986 compared with 11 657 cases in 1985, an increase of 1.7%. The sex distribution was 82% male and 18% female. The majority of patients were in the 20-40 age group. The number of patients under the age of 16 years old remained low at 66 (0.56%) in 1986.
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