ments given to patients covered orthopaedic, tuberculosis, surgical and medical conditions. The weekly occupational therapy service to the tuberculosis patients at St. John Hospital. Cheung Chau was maintained.
ORTHOPAEDIC AND PROSTHETIC APPLIANCE
129. During the year 2,235 appliances were made and 1,738 patients were treated while approximately 950 minor repairs, alterations or checkings were also donc. There was an increase in the production of artificial limbs, especially the below-knee prosthesis. The number of new poliomyelitis cases decreased but the old patients are growing up and therefore the demand for long leg brace with knee hinges rose. Work study in the production section has therefore been directed mainly to simplified but effective designs and improved techniques of fabrication of appliances.
130. The training programme for Student Assistant Orthopaedic Appliance Technicians progressed satisfactorily. To suit the Asian con- ditions and meet the local requirements, a co-ordinated research pro- gramme and development covering various aspects of design and production technique was started during the year. The programme includes developments in long leg brace, Milwaukee spinal brace, fitting of very short above-elbow stump and functional hand splint.
MEDICAL EXAMINATION BOARD
(See tables 64-651
131. This section performs medical examinations of new entrants to Government employment and to the Essential Service Corps. Although the numbers of persons classified as unfit on account of tuberculosis continued to fall, that disease remained the primary reason for non- acceptance of applicants on medical grounds, being responsible for thirteen out of the eighteen classification as 'unfit' in each thousand examination.
HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLY
132. This section. responsible for the routine supply and lay administration of medical institutions, continued to experience staffing difficulties as not only was difficulty encountered in recruiting ex- perienced Hospital Secretaries but the wastage rate among male minor staff remained high.
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133. Transport services continued to present problems as the number of routine requirements has increased with the expansion of activities in the Department and the opening of new institutions, whilst the number of vehicles has not increased commensurately. The increased number of mass immunization campaigns and an increase in the periods that vehilces were off the roads for maintenance and repair aggravated the position.
134. The Departmental Central Laundry experienced difficulty. which was particularly great at times, in coping with the still-rising demand; additional machinery was installed and additional staff appointed. More machinery is now on order and it is hoped that when this is in use the Laundry will have sufficient balanced capacity to deal with all demands until such time as a second Laundry is built and upened to serve Hong Kong Island, which should be towards the end of 1970.
135. The UNICEF-sponsored feeding programme continued throughout the year and a total of 54,154 lbs of Milk Powder and 456 lbs of Com-Soya-Milk was distributed to the various Government feed- ing centres throughout the Colony. The decrease in consumption com- pared with the previous year was approximately 30% and was due to shortage of supplies during the early part of the year and to the cessation of demand by the voluntary agencies which had found an alternative source of supply.
AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE
136. This branch of the Essential Services Corps has a strength of over 5.000 men and women trained to augment the Colony's medical services during an emergency and approximately half of the strength is used to make up the Ambulance Depot Teams which are based on the Fire Services Ambulance Stations throughout the Colony. These Ambul- ance Depot Teams are trained to reinforce the Fire Services Ambulance Service and to provide mobile first aid teams as necessary.
137. Members of the Service carry out training on Sunday mornings and during the evenings. They also perform routine ambulance duty with the Fire Services Ambulance Service by rotation at week-ends and Public Holidays.
138. During the disturbances in 1967 members of the Service were called up to reinforce the Ambulance Service as required, and assisted
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