TNAG-0655-FCO40-804-Development-of-medical-and-health-services-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 42

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including

tuberculosis

1,570 beds

psychiatry 2,389

**

425 beds in

government clinics;

156 beds in

government maternity homes.

private nursing/maternity homes;

giving a total of 18,561 beds. A detailed breakdown by types of hospitals may be seen at Appendix 'A'.

7.2 It was estimated that in 1975, the numbers of registered medical personnel were as follows:-

Doctors

3,497

Dentists

510 +

Pharmacists

220 +

Nurses Midwives

7,134 5,284

7.3 Those British manufacturers who wish to make a detailed survey of the Hong Kong medical scene and who would wish to have recourse to official statistics, are recommended to obtain a copy of the 'Annual Departmental Report' issued by the Director of the Medical and Health Services, Hong Kong (current available copy for the financial year 1975-76). This document contains much valuable information of which the following brief comments are only a few. In addition, there are many tables setting out vital statistics, details of health, hospital and clinic services, and details of the work of 'special services' eg the Institute of Pathology, the Forensic Pathology Laboratory, the Radio- therapeutic Division etc etc.

7.4 The 1975 population figures showed a slight increase over those of the previous year, and now total about 4,366,600 of which 31% are under 15 years of age and an increasing proportion, now 9%, over 60 years of age. A slight fall in the crude birth rate to 17.9 per 1,000 population and an improvement in the infant mortality rate to 15 per 1,000 live births, demonstrate the development of the maternity and child health services, and the general improvement in overall living conditions and environmental control.

7.5 The three main causes of death in 1975 were malignant neoplasms, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Deaths from cancer continue to show a steady increase to 5.105 in 1975: this now represents 24.1% of all deaths. greater incidence of deaths within this category resulted from cancer of the -

Trachea, bronchus and lung Liver

1,232

775

Nasopharynx

Stomach

459

406

Intestine

252.

Heart disease accounted for 3,311 deaths in the same year, whilst the figure from cerebrovascular disease was 2,336 - 95% of which were naturally in the over-45 year age bracket, and increasing.

7.6 Viral hepatitis: out of a total of 1,761 cases in 1975 there were 45 deaths. Most of these cases were amongst the adolescent and young adult age bracket.

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