ENG-1959 — Page 191

158

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

Public reaction to the system of block house inspection intro- duced during 1958 was again favourable. Householders are notified by postcard of a date and time when their premises will be. inspected and a team of 5 to 7 inspectors is employed to carry out block inspection in one district on five mornings a week. This method allows the inspecting officer to deal with nuisances by direct action, to instruct occupants in elementary health measures, and to receive information or complaints from the public. Access to premises has proved much easier and the public has given greater co-operation.

The other major part of the district inspectors' work is the supervision of some 11,996 premises operating under licences issued by the Urban Council, most of them for the preparation of food for human consumption. Persons handling food and in the catering trades often have little knowledge of the basic principles of food hygiene; once again the fundamental need is health education. To this end, inspectors have given special attention to licensed food establishments and this has resulted in a marked improvement in standards of cleanliness.

To effect closer control and supervision of licensed premises, a regular 'evening task force' for checks on these premises outside normal office hours was contemplated, but it is not expected that the scheme can be put into operation until the staffing position improves. In the meantime, from October onwards, a systematic programme of surprise visits was carried out by the Senior Health Inspectors personally during certain evenings each week.

Most people in Hong Kong are not conscious of the importance of proper health measures, and the Council has paid special atten- tion to health education covering a wide range of subjects. To this end, a series of 3-month campaigns on different health topics was held throughout the year. The subjects concerned were 'Keep Your Food Pure'; "Typhoid & Other Intestinal Diseases'; 'Keep The House Repaired'; and 'Take Care of Yourself'.

During the campaigns, advice on elementary rules of hygiene and good health was given to the public through various media including the press, posters, handbills, cinema slides, and radio slogans.

In addition to these campaigns, a 'Keep Your City Clean' cam- paign was held. The object was to eradicate three evils commonly