X1000306-1961-62_Part02 — Page 4

Hospitals and others give part-time services as lecturers in the Faculty of Medicine.

RADIOLOGY

354. The Radiological Service, under the direction of the Senior Radiological Specialist, maintains radiodiagnostic, radiotherapeutic and medical physics facilities. Such facilities are provided mainly for Government hospitals and clinics, but consultant services are readily available to certain Goverment-assisted hospitals and. on request, to private medical practitioners. In addition, the Service undertakes the instruction of medical students at Hong Kong University in the basic principles of radiology and it conducts in-service training courses for both radiologists and radiographers, which are fully recognized by the various cxamining bodies in the United Kingdom,

355. There is also a Clinical Photography Section in charge of a Medical Photographer who, in addition to the clinical photography. makes slides for teaching purposes and gives demonstrations of techniques to student radiographers. This section develops the radiation monitoring films for the radiation protection service of the Department; X-ray reproductions for the radiology museum and for scientific publications are also made,

Radiodiagnosis

356. This branch provides a diagnostic service in 12 Government hospitals and clinics in the Colony, operates 2 mobile mass radiography units and provides assistance to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and the Pok Oi Hospital. It has also assisted the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in providing a radiological service until the 30th June, 1961. During the year, an X-ray Department which included both fluoroscopic and radiographic facilities and a special apparatus for skull radiography was opened in the Casile Peak Hospital.

357. The work performed by the radiodiagnostic branch during the year was as follows:

358. This represents an increase of 16% in the total number of X-ray examinations and of 14% in the total of patients seen, compared to the previous year.

Radiotherapy

359. This section is based entirely at the Queen Mary Hospital except for a recently opened superficial radiotherapy unit in the Jockey Club Clinic, Sai Ying Pun. Deep X-ray and radiocobalt machines are used, a large stock of radium and radiocobalt needles is held and facilities are available for the use of radioisotopes in the diagnosis and Treatment of disease.

360. The major part of the work is amongst patients suffering from malignant disease, most of whom were treated as outpatients owing to the shortage of hospital beds. Some of them are now accommodated at the Oxfam Hostel near the Queen Mary Hospital. This Hostel, run by Caritus, was opened in October 1961 and has 16 beds. Patients under treatment at the Queen Mary Hospital are given free transport by Government between the hostel and the hospital and in this way courses of therapy lasting several weeks can be given conveniently without tiresome travel over considerable distances. The Almoners altached to the Radiotherapy Branch arrange admissions.

361. In face of the increasing demand for radiotherapy, working hours have been staggered and two shifts are worked each day. This has avoided the necessity of a long waiting list for treatment. Details of the work performed at the Queen Mary Hospital during the year are given in Table 29.

TABLE 29

WORK OF THE RAINOTHERAPEUTIC SECTION 1960-61

1960

1961

Number of new patients scen

1.339

1.504

Number of new discases diagnosed

1.339

1,309

Number of new cases of malignancy seen

962

1.079

Number of patients treated

1,266

1,301

ExaminationY

Patients

Number of new cases treated

1,021

1.105

Hong Kong Island (Six full-time centres plus one mass miniature radiography DAIL)

219.390

124,039

Number of cases of malignant disease treated Number of cases of new malignant disease treated Attendances for X- and gamma ray treatment

1,001

1.193

786

888

35,596

42,475

Kowloon and New Territories (Six full- time units plus one mass miniature radiography unit)

Radioisotope tracer studies

243

290

Courses of radioisotope therapy given

126

179

220,226

104,434

Radium or radiocobalt applications

158

182

Total.

439,616

228.453

Patient attendances at Radiotherapy Clinics Biopsies performed

15,371

17.228

829

796

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