131. The notifications of tuberculosis recorded during the year were as follows:
1956
1957
Government Chest Clinics
7,704
8,194
Other Government Institutions
1,643
2,917
Non-government Institutions including Tung
Wah Group of Hospitals
2.022
2,298
586
656
Total
Private Practitioners
12,155 13,665
132. It will be seen that the majority of these notifications originate in Government institutions and that the returns from other sources remain unchanged as compared with the figures for last year. The returns from private practitioners bear little relation to the number of cases handled by them.
Public agencies dealing with the Tuberculosis problem
133. During the year Government has continued to implement and to expand its policy of participating directly in the social and welfare services, as well as acting through voluntary associations by providing them with financial support. This policy has considerable advantages as far as the voluntary bodies are concerned in that they have freedom of action to tackle the problem in hand as they think fit. This does work to the common good, provided each aspect of the problem is given the attention it merits.
134. In the field of tuberculosis Government takes an active part through the Tuberculosis Service of the Medical Department. Indirectly. it acts by providing financial support in the form of subventians to a number of voluntary bodies working in this field. As the overall control is financial rather than administrative, efficiency depends upon a full liaison and co-operation between the voluntary and the official bodies.
135. The principal voluntary organizations operating in the tuber- culosis field are:
(1) The Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association
This is the largest organization in the Colony which devotes its activities exclusively to tuberculosis. In addition to operating a Health Education Service, a B.C.G. vaccination clinic and a Tuberculosis Insurance Scheme, the Association controls 876 beds for the treatment of tuberculosis in the Ruttonjee
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Sanatorium, the Freni Memorial Convalescent Home and the Grantham Hospital.
(ii) The Tung Wah Hospital Group
This is a large charity organization whose principal activity is the maintenance of three large hospitals. Between them, these hospitals have rather more than one hundred beds, as well as oul-patient facilities, for the treatment of tuberculosis.
(iii) Haven of Hope Sanatorium
This is an institution maintained by the Church World Service and it is devoted exclusively to the treatment of tuberculosis. There are 120 beds as well as same out-patient facilities in the surrounding villages.
(iv) Sandy Bay Convalescent Home
This recently opened hospital of fifty four beds is operated by the Society for the Relief of Disabled Children and is devoted to the convalescent care of children suffering from orthopaedic conditions, including tuberculosis. The Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society also participates in the work of the Home.
Private Practice
136. Until about ten years ago the only recourse of tuberculosis sufferers was to the private practitioners or to the private hospitals. Some of the practitioners had had special training in the treatment of tuberculosis but this did not by any means apply to all and the facilities for treatment varied very considerably. It is still not known just how much treatment is given by private practitioners as the notifications bear no relation to the number of cases handled but it is believed that the numbers are quite high. Treatment is available in private hospitals according to demand rather than according to any given number of beds.
The Tuberculosis control programme
137. Hong Kong has the unenviable reputation of having the highest tuberculosis infection rate of anywhere in the world. The control programme is therefore aimed at reducing the sources of infection in the community and at reducing the number of susceptible children.
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