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MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES

(Sec tables 32-33)

52. There is increasing public appreciation of the value of these services in the maintenance of health amongst infants and expectant and nursing mothers, and 78.8% of children born attended a Centre on at least one occasion; the corresponding figure for 1966 was 75.5%. Approximately 1.6% of the new attendances at infant welfare centres were found to have abnormalities; of these, the majority were either congenital defects or the effects of prematurity. A further encouraging trend is the increasing appreciation by expectant mothers of the need for regular ante-natal care as reflected in increasing attendances at ante-natal sessions and by the low maternal mortality rate.

53. As a result of the disturbances in 1967, the maternal and infant welfare sessions in Sha Tau Kok Clinic were suspended from June onwards, and its work was taken over by the Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club Clinic. In January 1968 the infant sessions were transferred back to Sha Tau Kok Clinic but antenatal sessions and deliveries are still being carried out in Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club Clinic.

SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE

54. The Medical and Health Department provides an advisory service to the Education Department on matters relating to environ- mental health and hygiene in schools. Inspection of schools is carried out by School Health Inspectors with special regard to lighting, ventila- tion and sanitary arrangements, and immunization against diphtheria. cholera and smallpox was carried out in the schools during the year by staff under the direction of Area Health Officers.

55. Considerable emphasis is now being placed on the tuberculin testing of entrants to primary schools and B.C.G. is given to those who are found to be tuberculin negative. Five teams each of 2 inoculators from the Government Chest Service progress steadily from school to school so that all schools throughout the Colony are covered within a period of 2 years. Positive reactors with a reading of 15 mm and over are submitted to X-Ray examination, and further investigation of 2,564 pupils examined revealed 12 cases of active tuberculosis who were given treatment; 179 pupils were placed under observation. Health Visitors interview all pupils with active tuberculosis and every effort is made to try and determine the source of infection, special emphasis being paid to home contacts.

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SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE BOARD

(See table 34)

56. The School Medical Service, which commenced in September 1964, is administered by the School Medical Service Board, an inde- pendent statutory body incorporated by Ordinance and operated by private medical practitioners. Remuneration of the doctors is on a per capita basis, half the annual fee being paid by the participating pupil and half contributed by Government which also meets the Board's administralive expenses.

57. On 31st March. 1968 the number of pupils participating was 46,744 from 637 schools, compared with 56,115 pupils from 661 schools on the same date in the previous year. Doctors participating in the scheme numbered 218 compared with 227 in the previous year.

DENTAL SERVICE

(See table 35)

58. The Dental Service provides dental care for Government Officers and their dependants. Government pensioners, limited specialized treat- ment for in-patients of Government Hospitals and for prisoners, and emergency treatment for members of the general public.

59. Fluoridation of the Colony's urban water supplies began in 1961. The rate of enrichment was formerly at two levels, being 0.7 parts of Buoride per million in summer and 0.9 parts per million during winter. In May 1967 the concentration was increased to a constant level of 1 part per million throughout the year. This level is to be maintained in future and is the result of a decision arrived at after consideration of more recent work on the study of optimum fluoride levels for com- munity water supplies. The cost of this operation is now estimated at about nine cents per person receiving fluoridated water per annum. Dental health education plays an important part in combating dental disease in the Colony and the Dental Service continued to take advan- tage of major educational exhibitions to distribute information and advice on the maintenance of dental health.

60. Although no training in dentistry is undertaken in Hong Kong, a programme of overseas training is maintained by Government and during the year two scholarships were again awarded to students for study in the University of Otago in New Zealand. Jo-service training in

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