XN000022-1982-10-06 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, OUTOHER 6, 1982

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HE CITED THE TUBERCULOSIS NOTIFICATION RATE WHICH DECLINED FURTHER FROM 160 PER 100 000 POPULATION IN 1980 TO 150 IN 1981, WITH THE DEATH RATE FROM THIS DISEASE FALLING FROM 10.9 TO 9.4 PER 100 000 POPULATION OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

HONG KONG'S INFANT MORTALITY RATE AT 8.7 PER THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS AND MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE AT 0.08 PER THOUSAND TOTAL BIRTHS FOR 1981 WERE DESCRIBED BY SIR EDWARD AS THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD+.

BUT HE NOTED THAT WITH THE AGE ING OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION, COUPLED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE IN THE PATTERN OF DISEASES.

+THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH ARE NOW CANCER AND HEART DISEASES, THERE IS ALSO AN INCREASING TREND IN THE NUMBER OF PSYCHIATRIC CASES ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRESS OF URBAN LIFE, HE SAID.

ANOTHER SIGN IF ICANT CHANGE, HE ADDED, WAS IN THE SHIFT OF POPULATION TO THE NEW TERRITORIES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS THERE.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR MEETING THESE CHANGES, HE POINTED OUT, WERE EXEMPL IF IED IN THE COMPLETION OF THE KWAI CHUNG HOSPITAL WHICH PROVIDES 1 340 BEDS FOR THE MENTALLY ILL AND THE KWOK TAK-SENG CARDIO-THORACIC CENTRE AT GRANTHAM HOSPITAL WHICH NOW PROVIDES FOR THE TREATMENT OF CARDIO-VASCULAR DISEASES.

IN ADDITION, THE 300-BED EXTENSION TO THE WONG TAI SIN INFIRMARY PROVIDES RELIEF FOR THE CHRONICALLY ILL WHO CANNOT BE DISCHARGED FROM INSTITUTIONAL CARE.

ON OUT-PATIENT CARE, SIR EDWARD REPORTED THAT FIVE NEW CLINICS WOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, WHILE A FURTHER 18 CLINICS OR POLYCLINICS WERE BEING PLANNED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO PROVIDE A TOTAL OF 539 CLINIC CONSULTING ROOMS BY 1987, COMPARED WITH 287 TODAY.

IN ADDITION, DAY HOSPITAL PLACES ARE PROVIDED FOR PSYCHIATRIC AND GERIATRIC PATIENTS AS PART OF THE IR REHABILITATION PROGRAMME.

SIR EDWARD SAID THAT AN ADDITIONAL 285 PSYCHIATRIC AND 220 GERIATRIC DAY HOSPITAL PLACES WOULD BE AVAILABLE BY 1987. COMPARED WITH THE EXISTING PROVISION OF 200 AND 75 RESPECTIVELY.

+THESE EXPANSION PROJECTS REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TRAINED MANPOWER AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED THE UPGC TO INVITE THE TWO UNIVERSITIES TO PLAN FOR INCREASED INTAKES INTO THE TWO MEDICAL SCHOOLS: FROM 100 TO 140 AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND FROM 150 TO 225 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID.

HE ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THREE NURSES' TRAINING SCHOOLS WOULD BE OPENED AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL, PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL AND THE BAPTIST HOSPITAL IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS TO INCREASE THE TOTAL TRAINING CAPACITY FOR NURSES FROM THE PRESENT 1 680 PER YEAR TO 1 880.

A FURTHER 960 PLACES WOULD BE AVAILABLE BY 1987 WHEN NEW NURSES' TRAINING SCHOOLS OR EXTENSION PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED, SIR EDWARD SAID.