XN000022-1976-10-26 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1976

DR. THONG POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE MORE TANGIBLE AND IMPORTANT INDICES TO THE STATE OF HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY.

+THIS IS BECAUSE IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS OR THE NUMBER OF BEDS FOR THE SICK IN A COUNTRY,

IN THE ULTIMATE IT IS THE MEASURE OF THE SICKNESS OR DEATH OR THE ABSENCE OF SUCH IN THE COMMUNITY THAT REALLY COUNTS, HE SAID.

DR. THONG SAID ACCURATE SICKNESS RATES WERE VERY DIFFICULT TO RECORD, BUT A MORE CERTAIN INDEX OF THE HEALTH OF A COMMUNITY WOULD BE THE DEATH OR MORTALITY RATE, IN PARTICULAR THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE AND THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE WHEN DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH.

HONG KONG COULD CLAIM TO HAVE DONE WELL IN BOTH THE IMR AT 15 PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS AND THE MMR AT AN ALL TIME LOW OF 0.03 PER 1,000 COMPARE VERY FAVOURABLY WITH MOST ADVANCED WESTERN COUNTRIES, SUCH AS THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES.

+THEREFORE, WITHOUT BEING COMPLACENT, IN HONG KONG TODAY WE CAN CLAIM THAT OUR FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES ARE VERY GOOD AS COMPARED EVEN TO WORLD STANDARDS, HE ADDED.

TA CHIU FESTIVAL AT KAT O ****

A LARGE NUMBER OF VISITORS TODAY ARRIVED AT KAT O FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ISLAND'S TEN-YEAR TA CHIU FESTIVAL.

GUEST OF HONOUR WAS THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHO LIT THE FIRST CEREMONIAL JOSS STICKS TO MARK THE BEGINNING OF FIVE DAYS OF ACTIVITIES TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TA CHIU.

ISLANDERS AND GUESTS WILL OBSERVE ONE OF THE MAIN CUSTOMS OF THE TA CHIU UNTIL THE FESTIVAL ENDS ON SUNDAY THEY WILL EAT ONLY VEGETARIAN FOOD.

AND TRUE TO ANOTHER FESTIVAL TRADITION, THE ORGANISERS HAVE ARRANGED CHINESE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES EVERY NIGHT DURING THE TA CHÍN.

MR. AKERS-JONES WAS ACCOMPANIED AT THE OPENING CEREMONY BY MR. LAU YUM-MAN, WHO IS KAT O ISLAND'S VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVE AND ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE SHA TAU KOK RURAL COMMITTEE.

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