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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1976
EXTENSION OF CASUALTY SERVICE HOURS AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL ******
PRESSURE AT THE EXTREMELY BUSY CASUALTY DEPARTMENT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL IS TO BE FURTHER RELIEVED WHEN THE NEW PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL EXTENDS ITS CASUALTY SERVICE BY EIGHT HOURS FROM NEXT WEEK.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID THAT BEGINNING ON MONDAY (SEPTEMBER 6) THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENT OF PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL WILL OPERATE FROM 8 A.M. TO 11.30 P.M. AT PRESENT, IT OPERATES FROM 9 A.M. TO 4.30 P.M.
THE EXTENDED CASUALTY SERVICE COINCIDES WITH THE OPENING OF THE HOSPITAL'S SECOND CLINICAL UNITS, WHICH INCLUDE MEDICAL, PAEDIATRIC, SURGICAL AND ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIALTIES.
ROUND-THE-CLOCK CASUALTY SERVICE WILL BE INTRODUCED EARLY NEXT YEAR WHEN THE 1,300-BED HOSPITAL IS EXPECTED TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL.
IN ADDITION TO PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL, CASUALTY SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, KWONG WAH HOSPITAL AND UNITED CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL IN KOWLOON AND QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL AND TANG SHIU KIN HOSPITAL ON THE
ISLAND.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASUALTY ATTENDANCES INCREASED BY A RECORD 18,8 PER CENT LAST YEAR FROM 474,648 IN 1974 TO 564,081 IN 1975.
ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE CASUALTY ATTENDANCES LAST YEAR WERE ADMITTED TO HOSPITALS FOLLOWING EXAMINATION BY DOCTORS, THE REST WERE TREATED AND DISCHARGED.
THE MOST FREQUENT CAUSES OF TRAUMATIC INJURY TREATED WERE INDUSTRIAL OR DOMESTIC ACCIDENTS WITH 44,984 AND 42,245 CASES RESPECTIVELY, FOLLOWED BY ASSAULTS WITH 19,114 CASES AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WITH 14,626 CASES.
OF THE NON-TRAUMATIC AILMENTS TREATED, GENERAL MEDICAL CAUSES ACCOUNTED FOR 151,320 CASES, FOLLOWED BY PAEDIATRIC WITH 86,707 CASES AND SURGICAL WITH 79,585 CASES.
THE BUSIEST CASUALTY DEPARTMENT WAS THE ONE AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, WHICH TREATED 242,480 PATIENTS DURING THE YEAR.
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