FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1982
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HE SAID CONSIDERABLE VOLUME OF EXCELLENT RESEARCH IS BEING UNDERTAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AND THE
MADRAS CHEMOTHERAPY CENTRE.
+NO LESS THAN FOUR IMPORTANT PAPERS ORIGINATING FROM HONG KONG ARE BEING PRESENTED AT THE FORTHCOMING INTERNATIONAL UNION AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS MEETING AT BUENOS AIRES IN APRIL,+ HE ADDED.
DR THONG SAID THE TUBERCULOSIS SITUATION IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD IS GETTING WORSE, BUT IN HONG KONG THERE IS SLOW BUT STEADY PROGRESS DESPITE AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM WITH POPULATION PRESSURES.
+THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AND HAS MADE LIBERAL FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW ANTI- TUBERCULOSIS DRUGS, HE SAID.
+THESE NEW DRUGS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE BUT THEY ARE EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE, HE ADDED.
THE MAJOR EVENT OF THE YEAR WAS THE OPENING EARLIER THIS MONTH OF THE KWOK TAK SENG HEART CENTRE AT GRANTHAM HOSPITAL BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE.
HE SAID THIS CENTRE WILL PROVIDE ONE OF THE BEST EQUIPPED AND ADVANCED CENTRES FOR THE TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN ASIA.
TURNING TO THE SUBJECT OF TWO OTHER IMPORTANT CHEST DISEASES, DR THONG SAID DEATHS FROM BRONCHOGENIC CANCER CONTINUED TO RISE WITH 1 806 PEOPLE DYING FROM THE DISEASE IN 1980 COMPARED WITH 1 662 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
+IT REMAINS A VERY DIFFICULT DISEASE TO TREAT SUCCESSFULLY, BUT IT IS ESSENTIALLY A DISEASE WHICH CAN BE LARGELY PREVENTABLE IF PEOPLE WERE TO STOP SMOKING,+ HE SAID.
DR THONG SAID IT IS NOW PART OF GOVERNMENT POLICY TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES, AND NO SMOKING+ SIGNS ARE BEING PERMANENTLY DISPLAYED IN ALL CLÍNICS AND IN THE DESIGNATED NON-SMOKING AREAS OF HOSPITALS TO REMIND VISITORS, PATIENTS AND STAFF OF THE RESTRICTIONS.
+HOWEVER, AS LONG AS AGGRESSIVE ADVERTISING BY THE TOBACCO COMPANIES IS PERMITTED, ESPECIALLY ON TELEVISION, SUCH MEASURES CAN ONLY HAVE A MARGINAL EFFECT,+ HE SAID.
TURNING TO SILICOSIS, A DUST DISEASE RELATIVELY COMMON AMONG QUARRY AND CONSTRUCTION SITE WORKERS, DR THONG SAID INCREASING ATTENTION MUST BE PLACED ON THE PREVENTIVE ASPECTS OF THE DISEASE.
THIS, HE SAID, MEANS IMPROVED DUST SUPPRESSION.
+LIKE TUBERCULOSIS. IT IS PREVENTABLE, BUT UNLIKE TUBERCULOSIS IT IS NOT CURABLE, HE POINTED OUT.
DR THONG SAID AN EFFECTIVE COMPENSATION SCHEME FOR SUFFERERS FROM SILICOSIS HAS BEEN INTRODUCED AND SINCE ITS IMPLEMENTATION SOME 1 700 WORKERS HAVE RECEIVED COMPENSATION.
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