CO129-629-10 Tuberculosis 1-7-1950 - 31-10-1951 — Page 21

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while the bread-winner is undergoing hospital treatment (107), the average weekly grant being just under H.K. $30.

Mucation and Propaganda

Health education and propaganda in respect of tuberculosis are undertaken by the Health Education section of the Medical Department working in conjunction with the Hong Kong Anti- Tuberculosis Association, Information and health propaganda are disseminated by means of posters, films, broadcasting van, newspapers, radio eto,

Isolation and Examining Fowers

Powers of isolation of tuberculosis are in existence but are used only on infrequent occasions in respect of individuals employed in the handling of food, particularly milk and ice-

cream.

Under-Graduate and Fost-Graduate Teaching

The medical staff of the Goverment Tuberculosis Service are employed by Hong Kong University as part time lecturers for instruction of medical students in Tuberculosis,

There is no organised scheme for post graduate training in tuberculosis in the Colony. The resources of the Tuberculosis Service are however, available to such private practitioners wish to make use of them, So far only two have done so,

Arrangements are at present being made for education of under-graduate school teachers in various health measures, in- oluding instruction on tuberculosis.

The Principal Problem of Tuberculosis in the area

The principal problem of tuberculosis is without doubt the over-crowding which has resulted from the influx of large numbers of refugees from various parts of China in the recent few years, Industrialisation of a predominantly agricultural people and conditions created by the unrest in China during the past 14 years must have had their effect too.

The standard of living in Hong Kong, while it is better than before the war and probably compares favourably with most areas in the Far East, still leaves room for considerable improvement,

Evaluation of the Problem

All the available evidence shows that tuberculosis, the most important single cause of death in the Colony, is a problem of considerable magnitude. The Government, in its well directed attack on the disease is considerably embarassed by the presence of large numbers of refugees, the majority living in conditions of incredible over-crowding, many in abject poverty and in an environment where daily contact with open tuberculosis is almost impossible to avoid. The natural resistance of the Chinese race prevents tuberculosis from becoming an acute epidemic disease but perpetuates the problem. While it is hoped that BCG veiccination of new-borns will do something to reduce the high death-rata from