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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1986
THE SUCCESSFUL CONTROL OF LEPROSY, WHICH WAS ONCE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY MEDICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS, RESULTED IN THE CLOSURE OF THE LEPROSAR IUM IN 1976, HE SAID.
+BY 1985 THERE WERE ONLY 32 NEW CASES WITH AN EVEN LOWER INCIDENCE RATE OF 0.6 PER 100 000 POPULATION, HE ADDED.
DR THONG POINTED OUT THAT MULTI-DRUG THERAPY ON LEPROSY WHICH WAS INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG IN 1977, WELL BEFORE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION, HAD PRODUCED PROMISING RESULTS.
IN 1985, THE SOCIAL HYGIENE SERVICES, WHICH OPERATED CLINICS FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND LEPROSY, HAD A TOTAL OF 116 000 ATTENDANCES.
ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF DERMATOLOGICAL SERVICES, DR THONG SAID ADDITIONAL CLINIC AND HOSPITAL FACILITIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
HE SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD UNDERGONE CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT IN MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES DURING THE PAST DECADE.
A WIDE RANGE OF TREATMENT AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED THROUGH A NETWORK OF HOSPITALS, CLINICS AND MEDICAL REHABILITATION CENTRES, HE ADDED.
THE NUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS IN THE TERRITORY HAD INCREASED FROM 18 561 IN 1975 TO 24 638 IN 1985 WHILE THE NUMBER OF CLINICS HAD INCREASED FROM 49 TO 64 DURING THE SAME PERIOD.
TODAY'S CONGRESS, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY ABOUT 160 DELEGATES FROM 14 ASIAN COUNTRIES, ALSO MARKED THE INAUGURATION OF THE ASIAN DERMATOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.
DR THONG CONGRATULATED THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR WISDOM AND HARD WORK IN BRINGING ABOUT ITS ESTABLISHMENT.
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION ARE TO ENCOURAGE THE ADVANCEMENT OF DERMATOLOGY AND PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AMONG MEMBER COUNTRIES.
DR THONG SAID HE FELT THE ASSOCIATION WOULD PLAY ALL IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE BY PROVIDING A USEFUL FORUM FOR THE EXCHANGE OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND THE LATEST ADVANCEMENT IN DERMATOLOGY AMONG DERMATOLOGISTS IN ASIA.
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