HEALTH
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a need for medical aid in the remoter inland villages a fortnightly service by helicopter was started during the year, which proved very popular.
A road ambulance service is maintained throughout the Colony by the Hong Kong Fire Services Department. Evacuation of cases of serious illness from regions not readily accessible by road is carried out by helicopter, by fast police launch and by floating clinic.
In addition to the Government out-patient services many char- itable and missionary organizations take an active interest in medical and health problems. Kaifong District, and Clansmen's Associations together support a total of thirty six clinics giving treatment free or at nominal cost. A number of industrial and commercial concerns also operate clinics for their employees and many trade unions provide similar services for their members.
SPECIALIST SERVICES
In Government hospitals there are clinical specialists in anaes- thetics; chest surgery; dentistry; ear, nose and throat diseases; eye diseases; general medicine; general surgery; neuro-surgery; obstet- rics and gynaecology; orthopaedic surgery; psychiatry; pathology; radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy. There are also specialist clinics for tuberculosis and social hygiene, the latter including derma- tology, leprosy and venereal diseases. The Malaria Bureau, the Government Chemist's Laboratory and the Forensic Pathology Laboratory also provide specialist services.
The Government Institute of Pathology maintains clinical pathology and public health laboratory services. Autopsies at the public mortuaries are carried out by forensic pathologists.
There are blood banks 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 laboratory work for the Blood Banks.
The Government Chemist is responsible for the work of an analytical laboratory which undertakes a wide range of investiga- tions on food hygiene, water supplies, narcotics, medico-legal work
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