7
Health
THE health of the population continued to be generally good during 1966. A single case of cholera was notified on 24th November, the first to occur after an absence of more than two years, the last case having been reported in June 1964. No further case was subse- quently reported, and the Colony was declared free from infection on 5th December. There was a considerable decrease in the notifi- cations of poliomyelitis and in the incidence of diphtheria.
The number of traffic and industrial accidents requiring emergency treatment in casualty departments and admission to hospital con- tinued to rise. The mortality pattern showed fewer deaths from communicable diseases and more from diseases of later life, par- ticularly from cancer and cerebro-vascular conditions. Tuberculosis still remained the most important health problem in the Colony, accounting for more sickness and deaths than all other commu- nicable diseases combined.
The Medical Development Plan Standing Committee, under the chairmanship of the Director of Medical and Health Services, maintained its task of keeping under review the recommendations of the white paper on 'Development of Medical Services in Hong Kong' and reported its conclusions on all major matters to the government through the Medical Advisory Board. The main aims of the plan set out in this white paper are discussed in Chapter 1.
During the year three new clinics were opened, the Lady Trench Polyclinic at Tsuen Wan, the Jockey Club Clinic at Cheung Sha Wan and the Jockey Club Health Centre at Yuen Long. At the Queen Mary Hospital, a new radiodiagnostic department was completed and brought into use. By the end of the year the remaining major extension projects for this hospital, consisting of a radiotherapy department, premises for university clinical staff and medical student teaching, operating theatres, pharmacy, central sterile supply department, nurses' training school and additional staff quarters, were all in process of completion and commissioning prior to
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