XN000022-1984-08-02 — Page 15

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1984

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MULTI-MILLION DOLLARS SPENDING ON REGISTRY FOR DISABLED ****

THE GOVERNMENT HAS SPENT $4.7 MILLION ON CAPITAL COSTS OF THE COMPUTERI SED CENTRAL REGISTRY FOR THE DISABLED, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON J.N. HENDERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THE ANNUAL RECURRENT COSTS OF THE REGISTRY AMOUNT TO $1.1 MILLION, MR HENDERSON SAID, IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON HENRIETTA IP.

A TOTAL OF 7 973 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS BETWEEN THE AGES OF FOUR AND 20 ARE REGISTERED WITH THE REGISTRY. THEY INCLUDE 1 211 SEVERE, 2 727 MODERATE AND 1 914 MILD CASES.

THE RATIOS BY AGE OF THE NUMBER OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS TO THE ESTIMATED POPULATION IN HONG KONG RANGE FROM 39.50 PER 10 000 PERSONS AT THE AGE OF FOUR TO 59.31 PER 10 000 PERSONS AT THE AGE OF 14, HE SAID.

FOR THE SEVERELY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, THE HIGHEST RATIO, 10.75 PER 10 000 PERSONS, IS RECORDED FOR THE AGE OF 19.

AT 20.19 PER 10 000 PERSONS, THE 12 YEARS OLD GROUP HAS THE HIGHEST RATIO OF MODERATELY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS.

THE HIGHEST RATIO OF MILDLY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS, 17.68 PER 10 000 PERSONS, IS FOUND AT THE SEVEN YEARS OLD LEVÉL.

WHILE NO COMPARABLE RATIOS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE UNITED STATES OR OTHER COUNTRIES ARE AVAILABLE, APPROACHES WILL BE MADE TO OBTAIN SUCH FIGURES, MR HENDERSON SAID.

ILLEGAL MEDICAL ADS: SOME PROSECUTIONS *****

SOME PROSECUTIONS FOR UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS WERE BROUGHT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THOUGH NONE OF THE CASES INVOLVED REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS SAID TODAY,

MR THOMAS WAS REPLYING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO QUESTIONS BY DR THE HON HENR JETTA IP CONCERNING ILLEGAL MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS+ ON DISPLAYED SIGNBOARDS, IN NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND TELEVISIONS BROADCASTS.

THE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE SECRETARY TO THE MEDICAL COUNCIL, MR THOMAS SAID.

STATISTICS OF PROSECUTIONS UNDER THE UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS ORDINANCE WERE NOT MAINTAINED IN A SEPARATE FORM BY THE POLICE, HE SAID.

'THE UNDESIRABLE