Clinics
General out-patient services form a vital part of the primary health care system. The Government operates 63 (54 public and 9 non-public) general out-patient clinics. Where necessary, cases are referred to polyclinics or specialist clinics for specialist attention. Evening, Sunday and Public Holiday sessions are also held at clinics which are heavily subscribed as part of an overall measure to meet the expanding demand for out-patient services. Mobile dispensaries and floating clinics take medical services to the outlying islands and the more remote areas of the New Territories. Other inaccessible areas are visited regularly by the 'flying doctor' service with assistance from the Royal Rong Kong Auxiliary Air
Force.
Ophthalmic Service
The Unit operates two main out-patient clinics and a number of part-time clinics in the territory. In 1987 there were a total of 258 263 attendances to these clinica. Emergency service is also provided in the major regional hospitals. There are a total of 96 ophthalmic beds in the Government hospitals. Mobile ophthalmic teams visit these hospitals on a sessional basis to perform elective and emergency surgery as well as to deal with cases referred from other clinical units. In 1987, a total of 2 600 operations were performed in the hospitals and a further 4 444 operations were performed in the out-patient eye clinics. The number of blindness registered was 812 in 1987. The pattern of the causes for blindness was mainly degenerative in nature.
The Unit also provides an orthoptic service to assist in the assessment and treatment of patients with disturbance in ocular mobility, and a low vision service for the assessment, follow-up and management of patients with low residual vision.
In parallel with the hospital facilities are psychiatric centres, which provide a wide range of out-patient treatment, assessment, counselling and after-care services on a regional basis. The centres also operate day hospital places and provide other social, occupational and recreational therapy services for the mentally-ill.
In 1987, there were 6 295 admissions to the psychiatric hospitals and units, 751 to the various day hospitals and 238 232 attendances at the psychiatric out-patient clinics. Medical staff were hard pressed by the increasing number of medical boards, and of referrals from courts, probation officers and police as well as assessment for disability allowance and the compensation boards for evaluating emotional damages in victims of violent crimes. Clinical psychologists of the Mental Health Service conducted a total of 10 227 interviews which entailed assessment and therapeutic functions.
Pursuing the practice of community psychiatry and adopting the multidisciplinary team approach in patient management, special emphasis is placed on the after-care of discharged mental patients during their integration back into the community. The Community Psychiatric Nursing Service, established since 1982, provides continuity in after-care treatment programmes to mentally-ill patients discharged from the psychiatric hospitals and units, and the out-patients of the psychiatric clinics. complementary rehabilitative supporting services include after-care social service, placement service, half-way houses, long-stay care homes, social clubs, and are organised by the various voluntary agencies. Through the Rehabilitation Development Co-ordinating Committee these services are closely monitored and co-ordinated.
Other
Severely mentally handicapped persons requiring intensive nursing care and medical treatment are being cared for in Siu Lam Hospital with 200' beds and the Caritas Medical Centre with 300 beds. In order to meet the great demand in this area, a further 704 beds in this category have been planned for the next decade.
Ear, Nose and Throat Service
The ENT Unit comprises two main in-patient divisions with a total of 33 beds in Queen Mary Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The total number of in-patients admitted in 1987 was 2 898 with 2 192 surgical operations performed. The Unit also runs 15 full- and part-time out-patient clinics. In 1987, the total attendance was 109 861. Minor operations and therapeutic procedures are also performed in these out-patient clinics. Speech therapy services were available on a limited scale for those who have developed speech difficulties as a result of recent disease or surgery, and 6 575 patient-sessions for assessment and treatment were conducted in 1987. The audiological personnel in the unit performed 11 745 audiometric assessments within the year.
Mental Health Service
The Mental Health Service, in conjunction with academic and voluntary bodies, provides a comprehensive psychiatric service for the mentally-ill. Sophisticated treatment facilities are available at the two major psychiatric hospitals Castle Peak Hospital with 1 935 beds and Kwai Chung Hospital with 1 510 beds and at the psychiatric units of regional and district hospitals. In line with the universal trend of operating smaller psychiatric units within general hospitals, an additional 2 238 beds are to be provided in the various hospitals under planning,
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Physiotherapy Service
Physiotherapy is being provided for patients in acute and convalescent hospitals, in out-patient clinics, rehabilitation centres, maternity hospitals, geriatric day hospitals as well as psychiatric hospitals. It aims to promote early rehabilitation of the disabled and elderly and hasten the recovery of the sick.
In 1987, a total of 257 056 patients were treated and 1 257 070 attendances recorded. With the heavy demand and the anticipated rapid expansion of the service, the training capacity for physiotherapists in the Hong Kong Polytechnic has been increased to 80 since 1983.
Occupational Therapy Service
Occupational Therapy Service aims at the restoration of function and ability for those affected by physical or mentally disabling conditions. These people undergo supervised activities that can assist in their re- integration into the community.
recorded.
In 1987, 35 469 patients were treated with 1 127 610 attendances
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