Nurses and Hospital Dressers, of whom 328 were Chinese, 109 Health Inspectors, of whom 77 were Chinese, 2,112 others (including technicians, subordinate and menial staff) most whom were Chinese.
Health Inspection.
of
The Urban District comprises the whole of the Island of Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Kowloon and is divided into five areas. A Health Officer of the Urban Council is responsible in each area for health and sanitation and for supervising and directing the work of the health inspectors employed in his area. Each area is divided into health districts in charge of each of which is a health inspector. Other health inspectors are employed in special duties connected with the control of hawkers, anti-epidemic measures, scavenging, etc. Altogether there are 43 health districts in the urban district of which 25 are on the Island and 18 in Kowloon and New Kowloon.
General Health.
The standard of public health during the year has once again been high and compares favourably with any previous year. The actual number of deaths recorded is slightly higher than in 1947 but the figure is considerably less than a quarter of that in the years 1940 and 1941 while most of the evidence suggests that the population is not markedly less.
Maternity Services.
The maternal mortality figure of 1.5 is lower than might have been expected and is undoubtedly due to the well organised mater- nity services that exist throughout the Colony. Taking all hospitals together, Government and private, there are approximately 350 maternity beds, some in private maternity hospitals and others in wings and blocks of general hospitals. In addition there are 99 private maternity homes with the number of beds in each ranging usually from 2 to 6 and totalling between them 324 beds. There are 740 midwives on the register which is controlled by the Midwives Board and no unregistered midwife is permitted to practice. All private maternity homes have to be registered and frequent visits of inspection are made by the Supervisor of Mid- wives who is also the Secretary of the Midwives Board. Of the 47,475 births recorded during the year 36,264 took place in a hospital or private home and 10,120 were attended in their homes by a registered midwife.
Child Health.
76
The infant mortality figure of 104.7 is the lowest yet
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