disease. All facilities are provided without charge, and once disease, exclusive of minor ailments, is detected the child or mother concerned is referred to the appropriate branch of the curative service for the investigation and treatment necessary. When cured the patient is en- couraged to return to the relevant clinic. The Health Education of groups of mothers in the clinics and of individuals while home-visiting is a permanent and continuing activity of the Health Visitors. The advice proffered is generally much appreciated, especially in the infant welfare clinic sessions and it is an encouraging sign that, during 1960, nearly one-quarter of all children born in Hong Kong were brought by their mothers, or sometimes by their Fathers, to these sessions. In the clinics all forms of group education are available: simple talks, film and puppet shows, flannel-graph illustrations, practical demonstrations and group discussions are widely used, the choice of medium depending on the subject and on the audience.
178. Clinics are held in both full-time and part-time centres and there are sessions for ante-natal and post-natal cases, for infants aged 0-2 years and for toddlers aged 2-5 years. The work performed during 1960, as compared to that of 1959, is detailed in Table 23,
TABLE 23
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES 1959-60
1959
1960
Number of full-time centres
Number of subsidiary centres
17
Number of ante-natal sessions cach year
1,922
17
2,023
New ante-natal attendances
17,418
20,296
Total ante-natal attendances
61.891
77,741
Number of post-natal sessions cach your
789
816
New post-natal attendances
3,530
4,686
Total post-natal attendances
4.870
6.399
Number of infant welfare and toddler sessions
each year
4,012
New infant welfare attendances
24,102
4,358 29,634
Total infant welfare attendances
292,360
307,956
4.125
Total toddler attendances
35.338
5,052 40,187
Total home visits
46.248
59,071
New toddler attendances
179. Two full-time centres were opened during the year in the Jockey Club Clinics in Kennedy Town and Aberdeen; the latter replaced a part-time centre which had been maintained in cramped and unsuitable
44
premises. Additional work undertaken consisted of ante-natal and infant welfare clinics held once a month in Tai O, on Lantau, and of infant welfare clinics held twice weekly in the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Estate.
180. The infant welfare sessions are undoubtedly the most popular aspect of the work of this branch of the service but many mothers still regard these clinics as centres primarily for the treatment of ail- ments. However an increasing number are now appreciating the need for routine inspections and the discussions of minor problems and the 'well baby' concept is becoming much more widely understood. It is encouraging to report that during 1960 only 1.53% of infants attending For the first time at infant welfare clinics showed any abnormality. Immunization against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus is given as a routine, using a triple vaccine. Smallpox vaccination is given where necessary and all children not known to bave had B.C.G. are tuberculin tested, those with a negative reaction receiving B.C.G. Those who are tuberculin positive but without pathological signs of active disease are given prophylactic L.N.A.H, for a period of one year.
181. Toddler clinics are increasing in popularity, mainly by 'promo- tions' from the infant welfare sessions. Here the inculcation of good habits of hygiene receives the emphasis so essential for the future health of the child.
182. Ante-natal sessions held in Government Maternal Health centres show the satisfactory average rate of 3.8 attendances by each expectant mother; however, the number of women who take advantage of the facilities offered represent only eighteen per cent of the total number of pregnancies. This is largely due to the demand, previously mentioned, for institutional midwifery and the consequent attendances at hospitals or at private nursing homes for ante-natal examinations. As this usually means a booked bed', this is all to the good.
183. Post-natal clinic sessions are still the least popular and, as 22.08% of all women attending present some defect, it would appear that the need for a post-natal examination is, in general, appreciated only by those who either are acutely conscious of an abnormality or who wish to take advantage of an opportunity for an investigation which will banish anxieties regarding their state of health.
SCHOOL HEALTH
184. The School Health Service has two main functions in the schools of the Colony. The first comprises the control of environmental sanita-
45
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.