18
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1981
PREVENTIVE HEALTH MEASURES
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A RECORD OF SUCCESS
PREVENTIVE HEALTH MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE IMPORTATION OF QUARANTINABLE DISEASES INTO THE TERRITORY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE OUTSTANDING HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE SUCCESSFUL CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR S.F. LAM, IN A TALK TO MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON THIS AFTERNOON.
HE SAID PREVENTION OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN HONG KONG IS ONLY PART OF THE PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
HE POINTED OUT THAT PREVENTIVE MEDICINE IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS CURATIVE AND REHABILITATIVE MEDICINES IN MEDICAL SERVICE, ALTHOUGH IT HAS OFTEN BEEN IGNORED.
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+ IT IS RATHER PARADOXICAL THAT THE MORE SUCCESSFUL PREVENTIVE MEDICINE IS, THE LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR ITS SUCCESS MEANS THE ABSENCE OF DISEASES AND WITH ABSENCE IT IS SOON FORGOTTEN UNTIL THE DISEASE DECIDES TO REAR ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN IN THE FORM OF AN EPIDEMIC, + HE SAID.
DR LAM WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE PROCEDURE OF PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE IS TO PREVENT CONTRACTING A DISEASE, THEN TO CURE WHAT IS NOT PREVENTABLE AND LASTLY TO REHABILITATE WHEN CURING FAILS.
IN THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT TAKES AS A FIRST PRIORITY THE PREVENTION OF SMALLPOX, YELLOW FEVER, CHOLERA AND PLAGUE, WHICH ARE, CLASSIFIED UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS AND WHICH ARE ENDEMIC IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES BECAUSE OF WAR, FAMINE AND PESTILENCE.
OF THE FOUR QUARANTINABLE DISEASES, DR LAM SAID, SMALLPOX HAS BEEN COMPLETELY ERADICATED WORLD-WIDE AS A RESULT OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
OF YELLOW FEVER, HE SAID, THE PARTICULAR SPECIES OF MOSQUITO WHICH TRANSMITS THE DISEASE IS ABSENT IN HONG KONG AND TO PREVENT THE INSECT FROM ENTERING, AIRCRAFT ARE SPRAYED WITH DISINFECTANTS.
HE URGED VISITORS TO COUNTRIES WHERE YELLOW FEVER IS PREVALENT TO OBTAIN IMMUNISATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S PORT HEALTH OFFICES.
HONG KONG WAS FREE FROM CHOLERA LAST YEAR, WHICH OCCURRED IN SPORADIC OUTBREAKS IN THE PAST, SAID DR LAM.
STRICT OBSERVANCE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF CONTROLLING THE DISEASE, HE ADDED.
DR LAM WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE LAST TWO CASES OF PLAGUE OCCURRED IN 1929 AND THE LAST EPIDEMIC OUTBREAK WAS IN 1922.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE THREE MODES OF PRESENTATION OF THIS DISEASE - BUBONIC, SEPTICAEMIC AND PNEUMONIC VARIETIES.
/UNTREATER PUBCHTO