ENG-1968 — Page 151

HEALTH

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alterations, when completed, will increase the hospital's bed capacity from 632 to 1,140 beds. Alterations to the Government Institute of Pathology, Sai Ying Pun, were completed to make more labora- tory space available, particularly for tuberculosis bacteriology, and the Medical Examination Board moved to new and improved premises. Substantial progress was achieved in the planning of many other government projects, including a large general hospital and a large mental hospital in the Lai Chi Kok area, an extension of almost 600 beds to Kowloon Hospital, and a rehabilitation and health centre in the Sai Ying Pun district. Construction work on Tang Shiu Kin Hospital at Morrison Hill, which will provide a second casualty department for Hong Kong Island, was almost complete.

The general state of health of the population, as demonstrated by the Colony's vital statistics set out in Appendix XXX, was well maintained. Rates particularly indicative of the trends are the infant and neonatal mortality rates, which were 23.03 and 15.03 per 1,000 live births respectively, and the maternal mortality rate which was 0.14 per 1,000 total births, maternal deaths totalling 12. The crude death rate was 4.9 per 1,000 population. Based on actual registration of births and deaths, there was a reproductive increase of 63,673 people during the year, a total of 82,992 live births was registered as compared with 88,171 in 1967 and the crude birth rate fell further from 23 to 21.1 per 1,000 of population.

ADMINISTRATION

Statutory responsibility for administering the services which safeguard public health in Hong Kong rests with the Director of Medical and Health Services, the Urban Council, the Director of Urban Services, the Commissioner of Labour and the District Commissioner, New Territories. The Medical and Health Depart- ment provides hospital and clinic facilities throughout both urban and rural areas, maintains maternal and child health, school health and port health services and is responsible for measures to control epidemic and endemic disease. In addition, doctors are seconded to the Urban Services Department, the Industrial Health Division of the Labour Department, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police and to the Prisons Department.