Radiology and Oncology Service
In the year the Medical & Health Department's Institute of Radiology and Oncology was reorganised into two major Divisions : the Diagnostic Radiology Division with the Nuclear Medicine Unit and the Radiotherapy and Oncology Division with its Medical Physics Unit.
The Diagnostic Radiology Division provides a diagnostic organ imaging service for Government institutions and one Government subvented hospital, the Nam Long Hospital. A consultant service is available to all Government subvented hospitals and private medical practitioners on payment of a fee.
The Nuclear Medicine Division, based at Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, is under the charge of a consultant of muclear medicine. The main task of the unit is to co-ordinate and improve various nuclear medicine proçedures and to train up medical personnel in the specialty.
The Radiotherapy and Oncology Division based at the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and Prince of Wales Hospitals provides a comprehensive radiotherapy as well as a chemotherapy service. The Division treats more than 90% of the patients requiring radiation therapy in the population. The division also operates a population based Cancer Registry covering the whole territory.
The Medical Physics Division is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the radiation physics and mould laboratories, radiological workshop and the photographic section of the Institute.
The Radiobiology Division is engaged in Cancer and Radiobiological Research. Together with the Radiation Therapy and Oncology and Physics Divisions, they play an essential role in the training of radiotherapists and oncologists.
The Institute operates 4 in-service training courses one for radiologists, one for radiotherapists and oncologists for the fellowship examinations of the Royal College of Radiologista in the United Kingdom, one for therapy radiographers for the diploma examination of the College of Radiographers in London, and one for Mould Laboratory Technicians for the certificate examination in Mould Laboratory Technology of the Medical and Health Department.
The Radiation Health Unit working under the direction of the Radiation Board undertakes regular visits to medical, commercial and industrial premises to inspect the working condition of radiation workers. Radiation licences are issued to the proprietors in accordance with the Radiation Ordinance and Regulations. In 1985 some 1 478 licences were issued. Personnel radiation monitoring service is offered to some 2 832 radiation workers in the field and to improve the efficiency of the process. A thermoluminescent dosemetry system was adopted in the year to replace the previous film dosemetry system.
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Pharmaceutical Service
The Pharmaceutical Service is made up of two main divisions. The first is the Bospital and Clinic Pharmacy Service which has a staff of about 500 and is responsible for the dispensary service and the supply of drugs and other pharmaceutical items to all Government hospitals and clinics. second division is the Pharmacy Law Enforcement Services which has a staff of 17 pharmacists and 15 general grade officers.
In the Hospital and Clinic Pharmacy Service, the continual expansion of the medical services and the introduction of new and sophisticated drugs had resulted in higher drug expenditure. The total amounted to about $231 million as compared with the expenditure of $142 millions for the previous year. In view of the high level of expenditure, the budgetary control system had been improved and various cost control methods were being studied in an attempt to make the service more cost effective. Plans were also in hand for computerizing the pharmaceutical inventory control system.
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The Law
On the pharmacy law enforcement side, the Inspection and Licensing Unit kept in check the illegal sale and distribution of poisons and antibiotics. There were a total of 118 prosecutions in the year. Enforcement Section had been increasingly called upon by other law enforcement and social service agencies to give lectures on the classification, identification, control and abuse potential of pharmaceutical products.
Examinations for the registration of pharmacists were held as usual in June and December, to enable pharmacy graduates from non- commonwealth countries to practise in Hong Kong. A total of 76 candidates sat and 20 passed.
VII Medical Development
The demand for medical and health services continues to grow at a steady rate. To cope with the increase in demand, a wide ranging development programme is being implemented including the construction of at least four major hospitals and 18 additional clinics and polyclinics,
In 1985, all the essential units of the Prince of Wales Hospital became operational, making an important step in the regionalization of medical and health services. The 1 446-bed hospital, which is also the teaching hospital for the medical faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is the regional hospital for the Eastern New Territories.
A major clinic opened during the year was the Tuen Mun Polyclinic Stage II. It provides an additional range of medical specialist services for people residing in the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long areas.
The construction of the Tuen Mun Hospital, with 1 600 beds, is well underway and when completed in 1988 it will support the Princess Margaret Hospital as the major district hospital for the New Tertitories.
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