WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1981
18
THE CLUB WAS OF THE OPINION THAT HONG KONG'S FREEDOM FROM COMMUNICABLE DISEASES HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY THE VIGILANCE AND HARD WORK OF THE HEALTH AUTHORITIES AND HEALTH WORKERS.
FOR MANY YEARS, HONG KONG HAS BEEN FREE FROM THE FOUR MOST FEARED QUARANTINABLE DISEASES WHICH ARE ENDEMIC IN MANY COUNTRIES SMALLPOX, YELLOW FEVER, CHOLERA AND PLAGUE.
STRINGENT PREVENTIVE MEASURES CARRIED OUT BY HEALTH OFFICERS HAVE ALSO BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL MOST OF THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS MALARIA, TYPHOID, DYSENTERIES AND TUBERCULOSIS.
A COMPREHENSIVE IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMME EXTENSIVELY CARRIED OUT BY HEALTH WORKERS HAS ALSO ELIMINATED OR KEPT DOWN TO THE MINIMUM MOST OF THE CHILDHOOD DISEASES SUCH AS POLIOMYELITIS, DIPHTHERIA, MEASLES AND WHOOPING COUGH.
AS A RESULT OF THE PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICE'S CONTINUOUS EFFORTS, HONG KONG HAS BEEN A LEADER IN RECORDING THE BEST INDICES OF INFANT AND MATERNITY HEALTH.
HONG KONG'S INFANT MORTALITY RATE, AT 11.8 PER 1 000 LIVE BIRTHS, AND THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE, AT 0.05 PER 1 000 TOTAL BIRTHS, ARE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD.
WITH THE CONTINUOUS INFLUX OF REFUGEES, THE PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN ALL POSSIBLE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT NO QUARANTINABLE DISEASES ARE IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES DO NOT SPREAD.
THE FACT THAT NO MAJOR OUTBREAK OF DISEASE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE REFUGEE BOATS OR REFUGEE CENTRES IS A REFLECTION OF THE SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TAKEN BY THE HEALTH WORKERS.
HEALTH OFFICERS MAINTAIN TOTAL VIGILANCE ON THE FLEETS OF REFUGEES STREAMING INTO HONG KONG, IN ADDITION TO THE IR OTHER HEALTH WORK.
AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS VISIT ABERDEEN TUNNEL ****
TWO GROUPS OF AUSTRALIAN CIVIL ENGINEERS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) VISITED ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS ROAD PROJECTS IN HONG KONG THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL.
ONE OF THE GROUPS CAME FROM THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF AUSTRALIA AND THE OTHER FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
THEY ARE ON THE IR WAY HOME FROM THE THIRD ROAD ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION OF ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA CONFERENCE IN TAIPEI.
THE TOUR WAS ARRANGED BY THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WITH THE AUSTRALIA ROAD RESEARCH BOARD (ARRB) AND THE MAIN ROADS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
THE VISITORS