XN000022-1976-04-28 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1976

TURNING TO THE OPTHALMIC SERVICE IN HONG KONG, HE SUGGESTED THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WITH ADVICE AND SUPPORT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SHOULD SET UP A PROGRAMME TO TRAIN TEACHERS INTO CARRYING OUT SCREENING TESTS BY USING THE SNELLEN CHART.

TOUCHING ON THE NARCOTICS PROBLEM, MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MUCH STRONGER ANTI-DRUGS CAMPAIGN AS HE FELT THAT CURRENT DRUG TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES WERE +VERY LIMITED IN SIZE.+

HE SAID IT WAS VITALLY ESSENTIAL TO HAVE A COMMUNITY-WIDE AND WELL-COORDINATED EFFORT TO CUT OFF THE FLOW OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM JOINING THE RANKS OF THE WELL-PUBLICISED ESTIMATE OF 100,000 ADDICTS.

+1 HOPE IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR ALL VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AT THE GRASS-ROOTS LEVEL TO BE INSTRUCTED AND PRIMED TO PUT ACROSS THE ANTI-DRUGS MESSAGE, TO BE AIMED ESPECIALLY AT YOUNG PEOPLE. FOR THIS PURPOSE, SUFFICIENT FUNDS MUST BE PROVIDED TO MAKE THE DRIVE AN EFFECTIVE AND ON-GOING SUCCESS, + HE SAID.

IN REPLY, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES DR. THE HON. GERALD CHOA, SAID THAT IN THEORY IT WAS POSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE ROUTINE COMPULSORY EXAMINATIONS FOR GIRLS WORKING IN MUSIC PARLOURS AND SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS.

BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD HAD EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT IN PRACTICE SUCH A STEP WAS NOT ANY MORE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE INCIDENCE OF VENEREAL DISEASES IN COMMUNITY.

REFERRING TO THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS FOR CARRYING OUT EYE TESTS, HE SAID A VISUAL SCREENING HAD ALREADY BEEN OPERATED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF PRIMARY ONE PUPILS IN CERTAIN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS.

PLANS TO EXTEND THE SCREENING TO COVER ALL PRIMARY ONE AND LATER ON POSSIBLY PRIMARY SIX PUPILS WERE NOW BEING CONSIDERED BY A WORKING PARTY AS PART OF THE PROGRAMME PLAN ON REHABILITATION SERVICES, HE SAID.

ON DRUG ADDICTION, DR. CHOA REFERRED TO A STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY IN THE COUNCIL ON APRIL 7 THAT THE SERVICE OF AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERT IN DATA COLLECTING AND ANALYSIS IN THIS FIELD HAD BEEN SECURED.

THE EXPERT HAD ARRIVED FROM THE UNITED STATES AND DR. CHOA SAID HE HOPED TO BE ABLE TO INFORM THE COUNCIL AT ITS NEXT SESSION THE RESULTS OF HIS INVESTIGATIONS,

THE DIRECTOR ADDED THAT THE PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY SUB-COMMITTEE OF ACAN HAD ALSO BEEN CONDUCTING AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE NEEDS IN THE AREA OF PREVENTIVE WORK.

/IN ADDITION