X1000306-1962-63_Part02 — Page 4

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388. The Central Medical Store is the main depot supplying all Government medical institutions in Hong Kong and the surrounding islands with pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical equipment and sup plies and medical gases. A branch, the Kowloon Medical Store, is the distribution centre for Kowloon and the New Territories. Manufacturing units for the supply in bulk of pharmaceuticals in concentrated form are maintained at both Stores. Parenteral fluids and other sterile preparations are manufactured at the Central Medical Store and at the Queen Mary Hospital Pharmacy. During the year, nearly 150.000 litres of miscel laneous parenteral fluids were prepared. Other sterile preparations, which included a wide range of ampoules for injection. ophthalmic solutions and ointments, totalled about 200,000 items.

389. During the year the Chief Pharmacist and his headquarters staff were actively engaged in the planning of the Central Sterile Supply Department of, and in the provision of instruments and medical equip ment for, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

THE ALMONER SERVICE

390. Medico-social work, which is an essential adjunct to the cura- tive medical services of Government, is the responsibility of the Principal Almoner and a staff of 2 Senior Almoners and $2 Almoners. Amongst the latter is included the first male almoner to be recruited in Hong Kong a significant and welcome development,

391. The sudden influx of refugees in May, 1962 brought new demands and problems, not only in an increase of sick people whose claims on local relatives and friends was slight, but also in the greater need for careful explanation and documentation among those un- accustomed to the way of life in Hong Kong.

392. Almoners are attached to all the larger hospitals, to certain of the main clinics in urban areas and to the Tuberculosis, Ophthalmic, Mental Health and Social Hygiene Services.

393. In the larger hospitals and clinics the range of almoner services is wide and complex. The Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Units require particular attention as the many accident cases need guidance and assist- ance when ready for discharge; schooling for handicapped children frequently presents difficulty and, due to the considerable help given by voluntary organizations, with which there has been close liaison, much has been accomplished in this sphere. The British Red Cross Society (Hong Kong Branch) provides a teacher for the children's wards at

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Queen Mary Hospital and maintains the Princess Alexandra School in the Crippled Children's Home at Kwun Tong; the Salvation Army Convalescent Home at Cheung Chau received 92 children from the wands of Queen Mary Hospital during the year, For adults, the Kwun Tong Rehabilitation Centre provided accommodation and physical therapy for discharged orthopaedic cases and the Oxfam Hostel housed and fed 186 destitute patients undergoing radiotherapy. The need for convalescent and long-term beds for patients who are ready for discharge from the acute hospitals remains urgent if the present rate of turnover in such hospitals is to be maintained.

394. In the Mental Health Service, the almoner's work is rather more specialized and time-consuming, requiring skilled case work especially with the family of the patient; home visits are useful in this type of social work and nearly 1.000 such visits were made by almoners in 1962. 395. Drug addicts coming forward for voluntary treatment have also required much individual social work, Almoners assist in the selection of voluntary patients for admission to the Treatment Centre at Castle Peak Hospital and deal with the problems arising in the families who are left at home during the patient's six months' absence, as well as with other difficulties which may become apparent when the patient is ready for discharge.

396. The almoners attached to the Social Hygiene Service are chiefly concerned with patients suffering from leprosy. The problem of employ. ment of these patients after clinical cure remains difficult as, apart from ostracismı based on tradițional fears, many of the patients are illiterate and unskilled.

397. In the Ophthalmic Service, the almoners attend on a full-time basis at the two ophthalmic centres-the Violet Peel Polyclinic and the Arran Street Eye Clinic, A visit is also made once weekly with the ophthalmic team to the Yuen Long Clinic.

398. The in-service training of newly appointed almoners is organiz- ed by the Principal Almoner at the Harcourt Health Centre. Instruction and talks on medical social work are also given to student nurses, to medical students and to social studies students from the University of Hong Kong, to secondary School pupils and to other groups of potential social workers.

399. The Samaritan Fund administered by the Principal Almoner disbursed $19,681.50 during the financial year 1962-63. The main expen- diture was on fares for travel to enable patients to attend for treatment

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