ENG-1967 — Page 138

7

Health

THE health of the population continued to be generally good during 1967. The Colony remained free from cholera and other quarantin- able diseases. The number of notifications of diphtheria and malaria continued to show a downward trend and the incidence of polio- myelitis during the year was particularly low. There was an increase in the incidence of cerebro-spinal meningitis earlier in the year. As usual, a biennial increase in the number of cases of measles was recorded in the winter months of 1966–7.

The number of attendances at casualty departments continued to increase, mainly due to a rise in non-traumatic cases. The total number of traumatic cases at casualty has dropped during the year because of a reduction in domestic and industrial accidents- although traffic accidents continued to rise. The mortality pattern showed fewer deaths from communicable diseases and more from, diseases of later life, particularly from cancer and cardio-vascular conditions. Tuberculosis still remained the most important health problem in the Colony, accounting for more sickness and deaths than all other communicable disease 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.

During the year the complex Jockey Club Polyclinic at Yau Ma Tei was opened and extensions to the Queen Mary 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, became operational. Two new ward blocks at Castle Peak Hospital, providing an additional 240 beds