ENG-1959 — Page 188

PUBLIC HEALTH

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tuberculosis and in social hygiene including dermatology, leprosy and venereal diseases. Malaria control and Forensic Pathology are also in charge of officers of senior rank.

The Government Institute of Pathology maintains clinical pathology and public health laboratory services. The autopsies at the public mortuaries are carried out by pathologists from the Institute or, in medico-legal cases, by the forensic pathologists.

Blood banks are maintained at the Queen Mary and Kowloon Hospitals and the Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society operates a blood collecting centre on Hong Kong Island for the voluntary donation of blood. The Institute of Pathology carries out the laboratory work for the Blood Banks.

The Government Chemist is responsible for the work of the analytical laboratory and investigations are undertaken over a wide range in connexion with food hygiene, water supplies, nar- cotics control, medico-legal work and import and export control, including dutiable commodities. A considerable amount of inves- tigation into standards of commodities included in Government contracts has also been done.

DENTAL SERVICE

The General Dental Service undertakes the treatment of monthly- paid Government employees and their dependants, in-patients in Government hospitals and prisoners. It also provides an emergency service for the general public at certain clinics, mainly for the relief of pain and for extractions.

The School Dental Service undertakes the routine examination of participants in the School Health Service and gives such treat- ment as the limited staff resources permit. This normally consists of fillings and extractions.

At the end of the year there were 16 Dental Clinics in operation including one mobile unit and the work done was:

Patients

1958

1959

Total Visits

99,876

109,718

Government Officers

23,256

27,026

Dependants of Government Officers

24,162

27,615

General Public

18,119

19,907

School Children

34,339

35,170