HEALTH.
Public Health.
Matters of public health are the responsibility of the Medical Department, the functions of which are separated into different divisions, e.g. hospitals, health, investigation and dental. These divisions are by no means self contained units and there is consider- able overlapping. The hospitals division, which includes out- patient departments and public dispensaries, cares for the sick and injured in 12 separate hospitals, 17 dispensaries and three poly- clinics. The hospitals provide 1,837 beds for accidents, maternity cases, infectious diseases (including tuberculosis), mental and general diseases. In addition the Tung Wah group of hospitals, which receive a large grant from Government, number slightly over 1,000 beds. The other charitable and private hospitals total between them approximately 650 beds thus making a grand total of approximately 3,500 beds for the Colony. Roughly two thirds of the hospital accommodation is on Hong Kong Island and the remainder on the Kowloon Peninsula with the exception of about 100 beds in the New Territories and on Cheung Chau Island. The incidence of the main infectious diseases in 1948 is shown in the graphs included in this chapter.
The health division has a variety of functions. Besides the supervision of the cleanliness of houses, streets and open spaces, these include the control of anti-epidemic measures such as vac- cination, inoculation, disinfection, the care of expectant and parturient mothers, and neo-natal care of infants, the inspection and treatment of school children and malaria control. Successful results have been obtained by the use D.D.T. kerosene solution on war damaged buildings and huts in squatters' settlements. This division is also responsible for port health work, food and drug control, public health propaganda, the treatment and preven- tion of social diseases, the supervision of markets and slaughter houses and the registration of births and deaths. Vital statistics for the year under review are given in Appendix I to this section.
Dental services are provided at three clinics, two
clinics, two on the Island and one on the Mainland.
The investigation division is subdivided into pathological laboratories (one on each side of the harbour) a chemical and bio- chemical laboratory, and public mortuaries where autopsies are carried out on all bodies of persons where the cause of death is in doubt.
On 31st December, 1948, the staff of the Medical Depart- ment consisted of 116 Doctors, of whom 87 were Chinese, 438
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