X1000307-1955-56_Part01 — Page 10

institutions the Medical Division is also responsible for main- taining liaison with Government assisted hospitals and institu- tions, voluntary organizations, and the training programme of all medical, nursing and ancillary personnel.

Establishment.

12. The official establishment staffing and operating the services outlined above consisted of:

Specialists (excluding University Consultants). Doctors (including administralive staff) Nursing Staff

Other Professional and Technical Staff Other Staff

Il

257

921

220 2.337

A table setting out the figures in detail is attached at Appendix 1.

Professional Registers.

13. Medical and dental practitioners together with phar- macists, nurses and midwives are required by Ordinance to be registered before practising their professions in the Colony. The Director of Medical & Health Services is the ex-officio chairman of the Boards constituted under the respective Ordinances. The numbers of persons registered under these Ordinances during the year was as follows:

Registered Medical Practitioners

Registered Dentists

Registered Pharmacists

Registered Nurses

Registered Midwives

all

33%

19

B34

Bus

(The above figures do not include the Armed Services' or Government

personnel.)

111. HEALTH DIVISION

Hygiene and Sanitation.

14. Urban Areas. The maintenance of efficient sanitary services is the basic requirement when dealing with increasing population and severe overcrowding. The clearing of squatters

A

and their resettlement continued to make good progress. number of fires again broke out in squatter areas (6 on Ilong Kong Island and 12 in Kowloon) necessitating the urgent provision of temporary health services for the homeless, Increased supervision of licensed food premises was maintained to ensure reasonable standards of hygiene. In some instances it was found that the methods of transport and handling of ice cream products was hygienically unsatisfactory-a number of samples taken showed contamination with pathogenic bacteria. One prosecution in this connexion resulted in a fine of $500.00. Two major outbreaks of food poisoning occurred during the year, both involving food prepared in institutional kitchens serving large numbers. In one outbreak, affecting 28 men, pathogenic staphylococci were isolated from ham and cheese sandwiches prepared by a pantry boy and a sick waiter both of whom showed the same organisms in cultures from their nose and throat. The other outbreak involved 24 persons in a relief camp. Bacillus proteus was isolated from the food remnants. In addition to these, a case occurred in Kowloon in which 9 out of 10 persons died after being poisoned with parathion, an organic phosphorous insecticide, ingested with a savoury soup. The sale of this insecticide has now been placed under strict control by the Government.

15. Special studies carried out by Ilealth Officers and the Health Inspectorate during the year included the following:- (a) A survey of food canning factories in Kowloon-

this followed complaints of poor quality canning received from nearby importing countries in South East Asia.

(b) A survey of creches and similar institutions in the Colony and observation of them for one year with a view to formulating future legislation.

(c) A campaign to improve general sanitation in Stanley-action was taken especially to control fly breeding, illegal pigsties, and sumps,

16. Rural Areas. The continuing rapid expansion of industry and suburban housing in the New Territories is still

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