XN000022-1982-03-26 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1982

TUBERCULOSIS ON THE RISE WORLDWIDE

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THE RUTTONJEE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HOSPITALS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS AND CHEST DISEASES, IS TO BE REDEVELOPED INTO A DISTRICT HOSPITAL, SERVING THE EASTERN PART OF HONG KONG ISLAND,

THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONG KONG TUBERCULOSIS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATION WHICH RUNS THE HOSPITAL.

DR THONG SAID THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY ENDORSED THE PROPOSAL THAT THE NEW HOSPITAL SHOULD CONTAIN 430 BEDS INITIALLY, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY BE INCREASED TO €00.

WHILE THE NEW HOSPITAL WILL RETAIN ITS IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS AND CHEST DISEASES IT WILL ALSO CONTAIN WITHIN THE NEW DEVELOPMENT PROVISION FOR ACUTE MEDICAL, SURGICAL AND GERIATRIC CASES.

+THUS, THE HOSPITAL WILL BE ENTERING A NEW EXPANDED ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL SERVICES IN HONG KONG,+ DR THONG SAID.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE

ASSOCIATION, HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THE COMBAT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF SHORT COURSE CHEMOTHERAPY.

THE ACHIEVEMENT WAS ALL THE MORE REMARKABLE IN THE WAKE OF

A WORLDWIDE INCREASE IN TB INCIDENCE, HE CONTINUED.

DR THONG, WHO IS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION, SAID THAT IT IS ESTIMATED THERE ARE SOME 10 MILLION CASES OF TUBERCULOSIS WORLDWIDE, WITH THREE MILLION DEATHS EACH YEAR.

+WHAT IS EVEN MORE HORRIFYING IS THE FACT THAT IF NOTHING IS DONE AND THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD INCREASES AS EXPECTED, 40 TO 50 MILLION PEOPLE WILL DEVELOP THIS DISEASE IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS, HE ADDED.

HONG KONG SUFFERED A SERIOUS SETBACK IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS TWO YEARS AGO DUE TO THE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, BUT THERE HAS SINCE BEEN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT TO THE SITUATION.

IN 1981, THERE WERE 7 729 NOTIFICATIONS FOR TUBERCULOSIS COMPARED WITH 8 065 THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE RATES BEING 150 AND 160 PER 100 000 POPULATION RESPECTIVELY. DEATHS SHOWED AN APPRECIABLE DROP FROM 551 IN 1980 TO 489 IN 1981.

+SHORT COURSE CHEMOTHERAPY, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED IN 1979 AND WHICH MEANS THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF PATIENTS CAN BE CURED BY FOUR TO SIX MONTHS OF TREATMENT, HAS BEEN ALMOST PERFECTED AND THE EMPHASIS IS NOW TURNING TO THE IMMUNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE DISEASE, DR THONG SAID.

/HE ID