ENG-1965 — Page 138

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HEALTH

by the St Columban Order of Sisters and consultant services are supplied by the professorial units of the University of Hong Kong. An annual recurrent subvention is made by the government.

The Anti-Tuberculosis Association also maintains at its head- quarters a BCG clinic, a follow-up clinic and a health education section. The policy of the association is formulated by a board and the hospitals are managed by the Grantham Hospital and Ruttonjee Sanatorium Management Boards respectively. Both hospitals offer approved training courses leading to the British Tuberculosis Association certificate in tuberculosis nursing.

The Haven of Hope Sanatorium, managed by an executive com- mittee of the Junk Bay Medical Relief Council, now has accommoda- tion for 240 tuberculosis cases. The government maintains 80 beds for the treatment of tuberculosis among villagers in the New Ter- ritories. The remainder of the beds are sponsored by voluntary and missionary bodies, which pay annual maintenance costs or guarantee the daily cost of maintenance of the patients they sponsor. In addition, there are two other units-one for rehabilitation prior to resettlement and the other an observation centre for child contacts who have a positive tuberculin test.

The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals maintains a varying number of beds for the treatment of more chronic forms of tuberculosis. Other institutions receiving support from the government which admit cases of tuberculous infection are the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, the Sandy Bay Convalescent Home, the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium and the Caritas Medical Centre.

Venereal diseases are diagnosed and treated at free clinics maintained in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. Despite strict epidemiological control by contact tracing, follow-up of defaulters and free ante-natal blood tests, the incidence of in- fectious syphilis continued to rise until 1964 when a fall in the numbers was recorded; this fall continued during 1965. Latent and late syphilis are steadily decreasing, while gonorrhoea has stayed at a comparatively unchanged level and the incidence of chancroid and lymphogranuloma remains very low.

With the repeal of the Lepers Ordinance, leprosy became a notifiable infectious disease under the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance from 1st June. Twenty outpatient sessions