ENG-1961 — Page 168

HEALTH

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event was an outbreak of cholera, the first since 1947 and the first occasion in nine years when Hong Kong was declared an infected area in terms of the International Sanitary Regulations. Fortunately the outbreak was contained relatively quickly and there was sur- prisingly little dislocation of everyday life.

The incidence of diphtheria continued to decline, but recorded notifications of measles, chickenpox, poliomyelitis, enteric fever and bacillary dysentery all showed minor increases. The result was an overall rise in the number of notifications of infectious diseases. Deaths from these diseases, however, continued to decline, while the number of deaths from the diseases of later life maintained the rise noted in previous years, indicating the gradual ageing of that section of the population which came in as refugees between 1946 and 1950. The increase in morbidity and mortality from accidents of all kinds continues.

There was no easing of the pressure on general hospital_beds or on the clinic facilities provided by Government. However, development plans are now beginning to bear fruit. The Castle Peak Hospital of 1,000 beds for mental patients was opened by His Excellency the Governor in March. There was also an addition of 140 beds at the Kowloon Hospital to meet the increasing com- mitments due to accidents, particularly to children. The Shek Wu Hui Clinic in the New Territories, donated by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, was opened in June. It provides 23 maternity beds and four casualty beds for accident cases or emergencies await- ing transport to hospital. At the Kennedy Town Jockey Club Clinic five maternity beds have been added. A new general out-patient clinic was also opened in the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Estate.

The construction of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kowloon went ahead according to schedule and by the end of the year the concrete superstructure for the whole hospital was virtually com- plete. At the Kwong Wah Hospital the fourth phase of the re- building had been started. Both of these hospitals are due for completion early in 1963.

In the light of the census figures the Medical and Health Depart- ment's development plan was reviewed in order to make recom- mendations on development priorities. At the end of the year the plan was under consideration by the Medical Advisory Board. This Board, which was first constituted in 1945 to advise on public