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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1985
ACCORDING TO A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE MEDICAL AND
HEALTH DEPARTMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 552 PLACES IN HONG KONG WHERE THE PUBLIC COULD OBTAIN OPTOMETRICAL SERVICES ABD 1 640 PERSONS WERE INVOLVED IN A VARIETY OF CAPACITIES.
BUT THE TRAINING BACKGROUND OF MEMBERS OF THE TRADE VARIED WITH ONLY NINE PER CENT OF THEM HAVING COMPLETED TRAINING AT THE CERTIFICATE COURSE IN OPTOMETRY OF HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, THREE PER CENT HOLDING DEGREE OR DIPLOMAS IN OPTOMETRY, AND THE REMAINING MAJORITY HAVING HAD LONG YEARS OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, HE SAID.
DR PANG SAID THAT WITH THE ADVANCEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY, INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF THE PRACTICE AND GREATER PUBLIC EXPECTATION, THERE WAS A GROWING DEMAND FOR THE PROVISION OF OPTOMETRICAL SERVICE BOTH IN QUALITY AND QUANTITY.
HE NOTED THAT THE PROVISION OF LOCAL TRAINING COURSES FOR OPTOMETRISTS, COUPLED WITH LEGISLATIVE CONTROL, WOULD LEAD TO IMPROVEMENT IN SUCH SERVICE.
THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC HAD IN MID-1984 INTRODUCED A THREE-YEAR PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA COURSE FOR NEW ENTRANTS AND A TWO-YEAR HIGHER CERTIFICATE COURSE FOR TRADE MEMBERS.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT BY 1987, 83 STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN THE OPTOMETRY WORKFORCE EACH YEAR.
STRATEGIC COMMODITIES SCHEDULE PUBLISHED
*****
A NEW SCHEDULE OF STRATEGIC COMMODITIES WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY) TO REPLACE THE EXISTING SCHEDULE WITH EFFECT FROM DECEMBER 2, 1965.
A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE SCHEDULE IS PART OF THE IMPORT AND EXPORT (STRATEGIC COMMODITIES) REGULATIONS, UNDER WHICH IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF ARTICLES SPECIFIED IN THE SCHEDULE REQUIRE LICENCES FROM THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE.
THE EXISTING SCHEDULE CAME INTO EFFECT IN DECEMBER 1982. THE NEW SCHEDULE REVISES THE EXISTING SCHEDULE TO REFLECT ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY SINCE THEN.
/A CIRCULAR