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FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1987
DEATHS FROM TUBERCULOSIS ALSO DROPPED FROM 409 IN 1985 TO 407 IN 1986 AND THE DEATH RATE FROM 7.5 TO 7.4 PER 100 000 POPULATION.
THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION,
DR KHOO SAID THESE DECLINES REFLECTED THE EFFORTS SPENT BY ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS.
+ HOWEVER, THESE STATISTICS WERE STILL HIGHER THAN THOSE OF OTHER ADVANCED COUNTRIES AND THERE IS STILL A LOT MORE TO BE DONE TO ACHIEVE COMPLETE CONTROL.
+THEREFORE, ALL PREVENTIVE AND CONTROL PROGRAMMES MUST BE MAINTAINED AT A HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY,+ DR KHOO SAID.
TURNING TO STATISTICS ON CANCER, DR KHOO SAID THERE WERE 1 743 DEATHS FROM LUNG CANCER IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1986, 150 MORE THAN THE NUMBER REPORTED IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1985.
HE NOTED THAT INTENSIVE AND SUSTAINED EFFORTS WERE OBVIOUSLY REQUIRED IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST SMOKING WHICH HE SAID WAS REGARDED AS THE MAJOR SINGLE CAUSE OF CANCER MORTALITY.
TO THIS END, A PROVISIONAL COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN DECEMBER 1986.
THE MAIN THRUST OF THE ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN THAT THE COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING IS TO FOCUS ON THE DANGERS OF PASSIVE SMOKING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ALERTING YOUNGSTERS TO THE HAZARDS OF HEALTH OF CIGARETTE SMOKING.
THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE AMOUNT OF NON-SMOKING AREAS IN PUBLIC PLACES IS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED.
IN THE CONTROL OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED NEW LEGISLATION TO BAN THE IMPORTATION, MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO IN HONG KONG.
THE LAW WAS PASSED BY GOVERNMENT IN NOVEMBER 1986 AND BECAME EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.
ON CARDIAC SERVICE, DR KHOO SAID THE GRANTHAM HOSPITAL HAD ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
A TOTAL OF 606 OPEN-HEART OPERATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT IN 1986
AND THE SUCCESS RATE REMAINED VERY HIGH.
IN ADDITION, TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES CONTINUED DURING THE YEAR.
/ON THE