CONFIDENTIAL
Social Services
Medical Services
8。 Medical facilities in the Colony are set at a high
order. The policy of the Hong Kong Government is to pro- vide directly or indirectly low cost or free medical and personal health services to the many who cannot afford to pay. In the financial year 1970/71, about 10% (£15.5m) of total Government expenditure will be spent on thesc services which include hospitals, outpatient clinics, school health
There is a services and a district midwifery service.
pressing problem of recruitment of doctors owing to the
Recruitment from attraction of private practice to Chinese.
U.K. is not a satisfactory solution owing to language
problems in the clinics.
9.
Tuberculosis remains Hong Kong's principal health problem, about 1% of the population suffering from the disease. The Government spends directly and through sub- vention more than £1.1 m. on control measures, operating six
full time clinics and 17 subsidiary centres.
10. In 1969 there were 3.97 hospital beds per thousand of population. It is expected that the target of 4.25 beds per thousand will be exceeded before the planned date of 1972.
Housing
110
The population of Hong Kong is estimated at rather more
than four million, of which about 1.5 million live in
accommodation provided or financed by the Government. However, there are still some 360,000 squatters in urban
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CONFIDENTIAL
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