X1000306-1980-81_Part01 — Page 6

IV Health Services

Tubercul cis and the Chest Servi cea

A total of 8,065 cases of tuberculosis were notified representing a rate of 160.1 per 100,000 population compared with 162.1 per 100,000 population for 1979. The tuberculosis death rate is 10.9 per 100,000 compared with 10.7 in 1979 or about 2.1% of the total registered deaths in the year,

Attendances at government chest clinic were 837,594 compared with 1.02 million in 1979, a decline of almost 18%. The BCG vaccinati on rate remaine very high, covering over 98% of the newborns.

A registry for pneumoconiosis cases (Silicosie and Asbestcais) is kept by the pneumoconiosis clinic within the Government Chest Service. Medical staff in the cheat services took an active part in the assessment of the degree of disability of the patients in the register for the purpose of compensation under the pneumoconiosis compensation ordinance 1980. By February 1981 phase I of the pneumoconiosis compensation scheme wee completed and 1,328 cases were fully assessed and the resulta were forwarded to the Labour Department and subsequently the Pneumoconiosis Fund Board for compensation.

Family Health Service

The family health service provides a comprehensive health care programme for women of child bearing age and children from birth to five years of age,

The department runs a total of 38 maternal and child health centres, 23 of which are full time and the remainder operate on a part-time basis. Clinical assessment and health education plays a major role in the delivery of service. Home visite are carried out in caBON of defaulters and those of high risk. Family planning services are available in 41 family planning centres, Post-natal check up service is also provided in these clinics,

During the year, about 90% of the newborns attended the

Family Health Centres.

A comprehensive œbaarvation scheme was introduced in 1978 to screen, detect and assena sarly developmental anomalies amongst the infants from birth to the age of five and to initiate appropriate remedial therapy as early as possible.

Under the scheme, children with physical disease and disabilities are referred to the various specialist clinice for in-depth assegament and treatment. Other children with handicap are referred to the multidisciplinary child assessment centre for further observation and treatment.

The total attendance was 1.6 million, similar to that in 1979.

/Arran Street ...............

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Arran Street Multidisciplinary Child Assessment Centra

The emphasia here is on multidisciplinary approach and the working team consists of paediatricians, clinical psychologists, medical social worker, ophthalmologista, audiology techniciane, speech therapieta, physiotherapiata, occupational therapists and nurses. Bach individual team member provides a particular perspective to understand and deal with the child's problem.

The centres serves children from birth to 12 years old. It provides comprehensive physical, peychological and social assecament as well as therapy, parental counselling and appropriate placement of the child in the various institutions and centree run by the government and the voluntary agencies. The centre also works closely with the special child care centre of the Social Welfare Department and the Special Education Service centres of the Education Department.

held.

In 1980, 157 cases were assessed and 2,861 case sessions were

The RDCO bae recommended and the KDAC has endorsed that 6 more Himlar child wasesament centres should be established on a regional basis. All these have been incorporated into the Medical Development Programme and should be completed by 1986.

Social Hygiene and Special Skin Semrice

Tenereal Disease Service

The incidence of venereal disease recorded in 1980 was 5,513 compared with 5,388 in 1979. About 3.17% of these cases occurred in the teenage (under 15) group. The common sexually transmitted diseases were gonorrhea (48%), syphilis (20%) and non-gonococcal urethritis (17%). The incidence of other sexually transmitted diseases e.g. chancroid and lympho-granul oma venereum remained low.

Ante-natal blood testa carried out routinely in all governmental and non-governmental ante-natal centres indicated an initial positive rate of 0.58% compared with 0.53% in the previous year. or the 254 positive casea referred to the social hygiene clinice only 112 cases (44%) were found to be suffering from syphilis.

The health staff were involved in epidemiologi oal setivi ti sa such as contact tracing and follow-up of defaulters and those at risk of frequent exposure. Health education in social hygiene was also emphasised through frequent health talka and the issuing of pamphlets and posters to the public.

Leprosy Service

There has been a gradual fall in the incidence of leprosy during the past 2 decades and this trend continued in 1980. The number

of new cases treated in 1980 was 60 representing an incidence rate of 1.2 per 100,000 population. The ratio of male to female cases was 3.6 to 1 and about 43% of the cases were tuberculoid cases,

/All leprosy.****

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