Grantham Hospital as convalescent beds for cases from the Queen Mary Hospital resulted in an extension of the service to patients transferred there. Besides the rendering of Medical Social Services to all units of patients in Queen Mary Hospital, medical social workers of the Hong Kong division also undertook medical social work in the Tsan Yuk Hospital, the Sai Ying Pun Infectious Disease Hospital and Jockey Club Clinic, the Tang Shiu Kin Hospital, the Duchess of Kent Children's Orthopaedic Hospital, (until August 1973 when the Society for the Relief of Disabled Children was able to employ their own medical social workers), the Tang Wah Sandy Bay Convalescent Hospital, the David Trench Rehabilitation Centre, the Wanchai Physiotherapy Centre, the Violet Feel Polyclinic, the Bye Services of the Yaumati, Violet Peel and Yuen Long clinics, and the Mount Parish School for Mentally Sub-normal Children, Wanchai.
172.
The medical social service of the Kowloon division which covers medical social work of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Kowloon Hospital, the Lai Chi Kok Hospital, the Kowloon Rehabilitation Centre, the Queen Elizabeth Specialist Clinics, the Cancer Wing of the Caritas Medical Centre and three out-patient departments in Kowloon, continued to provide service to an increasing number of patients treated at these hospitals and clinics. Besides helping them to regain maximum health and social capability in a joint effort with medical staff, close liaison was maintained during the year with other government departments and voluntary agencies for the rehabilitation and after care of these patients.
173.
Medical social workers in the chest and special skin division continued to see patients by a referral and selection system, in addition to automatic interviews of all patients on admission arising from the social aspects of these diseases. Medical social workers of this division worked full-time at all main chest clinics and special skin clinics, and part-time at other sub-clinics, including New Territories clinics and the Aberdeen Jockey Club Clinic. In addition to services to out-patients, this division also provided medical social services to tuberculosis patients treated at such hospitals as the Kowloon, the Grantham, the Ruttonjee Sanatorium, the Wong Tai Sin Infirmary, the Haven of Hope Sanatorium, and other medical institutions. In the special skin service, medical social workers maintained close liaison with the Hay Ling Chau Leprosarium « As a result of the general economic situation in 1973, there were difficulties with such rehabilitation problems as the housing of leprosy patients, the employment of cured lepers, and their re-integration into the community.
174.
Medical social work in the mental health service continued to viden in scope with the expansion of the Medical and Health Department- The psychiatric unit in Kowloon Hospital and the University Psychiatric Unit in Queen Mary Hospital were Functioning at a pace with rapid turnovers.
The increase in intake in all sections of the mental health service naturally had its impact on medical social workers who were required to meet the social problems of patients during treatment, the care of these patients' families, as well as planning for their discharge, aftercare and rehabilitation. The full implementation of the Social Security Scheme of the Social Welfare Department, with its additional provision of Disability and Infirmity Allowance, further increased the demand on medical social workers' time and attention. The Siu Lam Hospital had reached its capacity of intake. However, the resulting upsurge of referrals of mentally retarded individuals to the mental health service was unabated. These have accompanying social problems, such as family rejection, for whom the medical social worker's assistance in counselling and referral for other welfare services was essential, notably for social security
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provision.
175.
As a result of the rapid expansion in the medical and health services, there was a larger intake of new recruits in the medical social service, and the in-service training and orientation programme was carried out on a larger scale than before with the appointment of a training officer. Interdisciplinary departmental training, much appreciated because of its team-work implications, continued to be maintained. Requests also came from other hospitals' mursing schools such as the Tung Wah group of hospitals, from hospital administrators, welfare organisations, the Social Welfare Department's training section, and so on, for medical social workers' contributions towards their staff development programmes, Practical work placements in the department's hospitals, mainly the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mary, and the Kowloon hospitals, continued to be made available to the Bachelor of Social Science undergraduates of the two universities, and graduates undertaking the diploma of social studies course of the University of Hong Kong. In both respects, experienced and qualified medical social workers were designated as supervisors in the field training of social work students.
176.
PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES
The demand for physiotherapy continued to rise, particularly for the severely handicapped and patients requiring intensive care. Another large group, mainly out-patients, consisted of those suffering from cervical spondylosis, the symptoms of which are often caused by sedentary occupations and the lack of physical activities among office workers. The treatment of the latter group improved since a three-month course was held during the year to teach staff detailed assessments and manipulations for spinal derangements.
177.
The physiotherapists at Kowloon Hospital continued a programme of expansion to give convalescent patients as much attention as possible in order to overcome their disabilities and one of the large old wards was used as a temporary exercise area. The care of spinal injuries patients has improved with the retum of a physiotherapist from a six-month attachment in the V.K. Sports activities were arranged for patients to help increase their strength and independence; some became proficient at various wheel chair sports and took part in competitions against patients from other centres in basket ball, table tennis, archery, javelin, swimming and discus throwing. Social activities continued such as picnics, visits to tea houses and homes, shopping, ten-pin bowling and music lessons. The acute spinal lesions at Queen Elizabeth Hospital usually about thirty-two took up the full-time services of two physiotherapists and one assistant.
178.
Intensive care for the acutely ill comprised about a quarter of the work at Queen Mary Hospital and has increased at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Kowloon Hospital resulting in more duties over weekends and on public holidays.
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