TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1976
GOVT'S FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE PROVES SUCCESSFUL
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GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT IN DIRECTLY PROVIDING FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE HAS PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, JUDGING FROM THE RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE USING THE SERVİCE DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. K.L. THONG, IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE LION'S CLUB OF SOUTH KOWLOON THIS EVENING.
SINCE OCTOBER 1973, THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN OFFERING FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC AFTER INTEGRATING SOME 30 CLINICS FORMERLY OPERATED BY THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION INTO THE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY HEALTH SERVICE.
IN ADDITION, ANOTHER 10 CLINICS HAVE SINCE BEEN SET UP BY THE DEPARTMENT, MAKING A TOTAL OF 40 CLINICS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
TO DATE, THESE CLINICS SERVE SOME 31,500 MOTHERS WITH A TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 243,000 UP TO THE END OF LAST YEAR.
DR. THONG SAID IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SERVICES OF THE FPA, PARTICULARLY ITS HEALTH EDUCATION ACTIVITIES.
HE SAID FAMILY PLANNING IS NOW PART OF THE POST- NATAL SERVICE RENDERED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CLINICS.
+WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION, I AM SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF AN EFFICIENT AND GOOD PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICE WHICH RANKS AMONG THE BEST THROUGHOUT THIS REGION,+ HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE GENERAL HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY. DR. THONG SAID VERY OFTEN PEOPLE TENDED TO HEAR VARIOUS COMMENTS ON STATISTICS AS INDICES TO THE STATE OF HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THE DOCTOR/POPULATION RATIO AND THE HOSPITAL BED/POPULATION RATIO.
+WHILE THESE ARE IN THEIR OWN WAY IMPORTANT INDICES OF THE IN-PUT OF MEDICAL FACILITIES AND CARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY THEY DO NOT REALLY IN THE ULTIMATE REFLECT DIRECTLY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SERVICES IN REGARD TO THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID.
/DE, THONG