XN000022-1989-04-18 — Page 3

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1989

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HE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE ΤΟ GIVE PRIORITY TO EXPAND AND DEVELOP FURTHER HEALTH EDUCATION ACTIVITIES. AND A MAJOR CAMPAIGN "LET'S TALK HEALTH" WOULD BE CONDUCTED THIS YEAR.

TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME, THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SAID THE DEPARTMENT PLANNED TO INTRODUCE THE MUMPS, MEASLES AND RUBELLA (MMR) VACCINE EARLY NEXT YEAR TO INFANTS AT THE AGE OF ONE.

HE SAID: "THE USE OF THIS VACCINE WILL ENHANCE THE EXISTING RUBELLA VACCINATION PROGRAMME AND HELF ΤΟ PREVENT THE DISABLING CONDITION OF CONGENITAL RUBELLA SYNDROME.

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AND

TOGETHER WITH HEPATITIS B VACCINATION WHICH WAS INTRODUCED LAST YEAR TO ALL NEWBORNS, THE IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME FOR INFANTS CHILDREN WOULD INCLUDE VACCINATION AGAINST NINE COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, NAMELY TUBERCULOSIS, POLIMYELITIS, DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS, WHOOPING COUGH, MEASLES, HEPATITIS B, MUMPS AND RUBELLA.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT AREA OF THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK, HE SAID, WAS THE PROVISION OF A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND MOTHERS.

IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, EIGHT FAMILY HEALTH SERVICE CENTRES WOULD BE BUILT, INCLUDING ONE WHICH WOULD BE OPENED IN YUEN LONG LATER THIS YEAR.

ON DENTAL HEALTH, DR LEE SAID THE SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE PROVIDED DENTAL EXAMINATION, TREATMENT AND ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION TO A TOTAL OF OVER 373,600 PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN LAST YEAR.

TWO NEW SCHOOL DENTAL CLINICS WOULD BE OPENED THIS YEAR AT SHA TIN AND TUEN MỤN WHILE PLANS WERE IN HAND TO BUILD TWO MORE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

ORAL

HEALTH SET UP

DR LEE SAID THAT A PROPERLY DESIGNED AND EQUIPPED EDUCATION UNIT, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG, HAD BEEN IN THE ARGYLE STREET SCHOOL DENTAL CLINIC.

TO BE OFFICIALLY OPENED NEXT WEEK, IT WOULD SERVE AS A UNIT TO PROMOTE ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION ACTIVITIES.

CENTRAL

TO IMPROVE THE CHILD ASSESSMENT SERVICE FURTHER, A NEW CENTRE WOULD BE OPENED IN SHA TIN THIS YEAR, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILD ASSESSMENT CENTRES IN THE TERRITORY TO FOUR. TWO MORE HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR TUEN MUN AND HA KWAI CHUNG IN THE NEXT THREE ΤΟ FOUR YEARS.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS BEING PLANNED INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CENTRAL PATHOLOGY INSTITUTE WHICH AIMS TO EXPAND THE PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICES,

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