FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1981
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TB INCIDENCES LOW
***
HONG KONG HAS KEPT THE INCIDENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS RELATIVELY LOW DURING THE PAST YEAR DESPITE THE INFLUX OF REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, THE DIRECTOR
OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE TOTAL NOTIFICATIONS FOR TUBERCULOSIS IN 1980 WERE MAINTAINED AT PRACTICALLY THE SAME LEVEL AS IN 1979 DESPITE FEARS THAT EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE DISEASE MIGHT BE TAMPERED BY THE FLOW OF IMMIGRANTS.
+ INDEED DURING THE LAST QUARTER OF 1980, THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL FALL IN THE NUMBER OF NOTIFICATIONS, AND EVIDENCE NOW AVAILABLE TO US INDICATES THAT PROGRESS HAS ́ AGAIN BEEN RESUMED, HE SAID.
SPEAKING IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF HONG KONG ANTI- TUBERCULOS IS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATION, AT ITS ANNUAL MEETING, DR THONG POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 4 000 CASES OF TB NOT IF ICATIONS AMONG VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS.
THIS BURDEN WAS PLACED SQUARELY ON THE DEPARTMENT'S CHEST SERVICE, WHICH HANDLED THE PROBLEM WITH EFFICIENCY AND WITH THE LEAST FUSS, HE SAID.
IN DRUGS ALONE, HE ADDED, THE COST TO THE COMMUNITY WAS ABOUT $1.5 MILLION.
+W ITHOUT BEING COMPLACENT I THINK IT SAYS A LOT FOR THE GOVERNMENT, ABLY SUPPORTED BY THE ASSOCIATION AND OTHER VOLUNTARY BODIES, WHICH HAVE MANAGED TO OVERCOME VERY REAL DIFFICULTIES THAT WERE SUDDENLY AND OVER-WHELMINGLY IMPOSED ON US, HE SAID.
DR THONG WENT ON TO SAY THAT HONG KONG HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF BABIES VACCINATED AT BIRTH WITH BCG IN THE WORLD.
THE COLLABORATION WITH THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS NEVER BEEN MORE FINELY ATTUNED, HE NOTED, ADDING THAT HONG KONG IS IN THE FOREFRONT OF SHORT-COURSE CHEMOTHERAPY BOTH IN RESEARCH AND ITS APPLICATION IN PRACTICE.
TURNING TO OTHER DISEASES OF THE CHEST, DR THONG POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE NUMBER OF LUNG CANCER DEATHS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED.
LAST YEAR ALONE, 1 800 PEOPLE DIED OF LUNG CANCER COMPARED WITH 550 OF TUBERCULOSIS.
LUNG CANCER IS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON IN HONG KONG AND IN SPITE OF EFFORTS BY CHEST PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS, THE PROGNOS IS AS A WHOLE REMAINS POOR, HE SAID.
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