MONDAY, MARCH 24, 1986
LESS TUBERCULOSIS CASES LAST YEAR
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THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NEW NOTIFICATIONS AND DEATHS FROM TUBERCULOSIS HAD DROPPED IN HONG KONG LAST YEAR, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONG KONG TUBERCULOSIS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATION, DR THONG SAID THAT, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, NEW NOTIFICATIONS OF THE DISEASE HAD DECREASED FROM 7 843 IN 1984 TO 7 545 IN 1985 AND THE NOTIFICATION RATE FROM 146.2 TO 139.1 PER 100 000 POPULATION.
DEATHS FROM TUBERCULOSIS ALSO DROPPED FROM 420 IN 1984 TO 409 IN 1985 AND THE DEATH RATE FROM 7.8 TO 7.5 PER 100 000 POPULATION.
DR THONG, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION, SAID THAT THE INCREASED NOTIFICATIONS IN 1984 HAD PROBABLY ALERTED THE POPULATION TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THEIR GENERAL HEALTH AND PUBLIC HYGIENE.
THE CONTROL AND TREATMENT PROGRAMME FOR TUBERCULOSIS HAD CONTINUED TO BE MAINTAINED AND IMPROVED, HE ADDED.
TURNING TO STATISTICS ON CANCER, DR THONG REPORTED THAT THERE WERE 1 593 DEATHS FROM LUNG CANCER IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1985, COMPARED WITH 1 589 DEATHS IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1984.
HE NOTED THAT WHILE IT WAS A LITTLE COMFORTING TO SEE THAT DEATHS FROM CANCER DID NOT CONTINUE TO RISE, IT WOULD NOT BE WISE TO DRAW ANY CONCLUSION AT THIS STAGE.
HE HOPED THAT WITH ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES SUSTAINED, THE EFFECT WOULD BE REFLECTED BY DECLINING DEATHS IN THE FUTURE.
ON CARDIAC SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE GRANTHAM HOSPITAL, DR THONG SAID IT HAD EXPANDED AGAIN LAST YEAR.
A TOTAL OF 565 OPEN HEART OPERATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT AND THE SUCCESS RATE WAS VERY HIGH. THERE WERE ALSO REFERRAL CASES COMING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA,
IN ADDITION, TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES WERE ARRANGED IN THE CARDIAC CENTRE.
ON THE ASSOCIATION'S NEW PROJECT, DR THONG SAID THAT RE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE RUTTONJEE HOSPITAL WAS PROGRESSING SMOOTHLY AS PLANNED.
SITE FORMATION WORK WAS COMPLETED IN MID-OCTOBER 1985 AND THE $9.98 MILLION FOUNDATION WORK HAD STARTED IN NOVEMBER.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE OF THE HOSPITAL BUILDING AND THE STAFF QUARTERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER THIS YEAR.
DR THONG SAID HE EXPECTED THE NEW HOSPITAL TO BE COMPLETED IN 1989.