XN000022-1972-05-25 — Page 6

6.

Thursday, May 25, 1972

ADVANCES IN MEDICAL CARE OVER LAST FEW DECADES

Mortality Rate In Hong Kong Declining

The Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, said today the declining

mortality rate in Hong Kong underlined the extraordinary advances made in

medical care over the last few decades.

He was speaking at the Golden Jubilee ceremony of the Tsan Yuk

Hospital. In the ceremony, he unveiled a plaque to commemorate what he

described as an "important milestone" in the history of the hospital.

Sir Murray said: "We now have over 16,000 hospital beds compared

with less than 2,000 in the 1930's."

He said the annual death rate per 1,000 had reduced from 21 to five

over 50 years. The infant mortality rate has reduced from 350 per 1,000

in the 1940's to 18 per 1,000 in the 1970's. The maternal and peri-natal

mortality rates have dropped considerably to their present levels of 1.4

per 10,000 and 16.6 per 1,000.

"These figures portray a remarkable development in our medical

services and in the health of our community. But they also underline the

valuable contribution made by the Tsan Yuk Hospital, which has trained a

great majority of our doctors and midwives engaged in obstetric care," he said.

The following is the full text of the Governor's speech at the Golden

Jubilee ceremony of the Tsan Yuk Hospital:

/"Listening