HEALTH
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maintains 53 out-patient clinics and dispensaries of varying size and scope. In addition out-patient specialist sessions are held at a number of centres in the urban areas, while in the New Territories the large clinics are visited by specialist teams from Hong Kong and Kowloon. The remoter areas of the New Territories are served by two mobile dispensaries and two floating clinics. The latter are launches, donated by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, which visit isolated centres on the eastern and western coasts. To meet the need for medical aid in the more remote inland villages there is a fortnightly service by helicopter; this service is very popular and was extended during the year.
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 charitable and missionary organizations have taken an active in- terest in medical and health problems. Kaifong, district and clans- men's associations support a total of 65 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 disease. 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 Queen Elizabeth Hospitals and the Hong Kong branch of the British Red Cross Society operates two blood-collecting centres for the voluntary donation
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