ENG-1971 — Page 138

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HEALTH

Bay Medical Relief Council has 310 beds at its Haven of Hope Sanatorium. The Tung Wah Group plays an important role in the treatment of tuberculosis and the Chest Unit at Wong Tai Sin Infirmary has 185 beds in spacious accommodation.

Venereal disease is diagnosed and treated free at social hygiene clinics. The recorded incidence of early infectious syphilis continued to remain low in 1971, thus differing from experience in other parts of the world. Latent and late syphilis and gonorrhoea have stayed comparatively unchanged and the incidence of chancroid and lym- phogranuloma remained very low. The maintenance of this satis- factory position is due, at least in part, to energetic epidemic control by contact tracing, follow-up of defaulters and routine ante-natal blood tests.

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Leprosy remains a comparatively minor public health problem. Twenty outpatient sessions are held weekly for diagnosis and treat- ment of the disease, while other sessions are held at social hygiene centres in conjunction with dermatology and venereal disease clinics. The Leprosy Mission-Hong Kong Auxiliary, with the aid of a government subvention, maintains the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium for the treatment of infectious cases and a small number of patients requiring reconstructive operations. Due to the decreasing incidence of the disease, the number of new cases admitted to the leprosarium has shown a notable reduction in recent years. The decision was taken in June 1971 to phase out and eventually close the leprosarium. Future leprosy cases requiring hospital treatment will be accommo- dated in the special infectious disease unit of the new Lai Chi Kok Hospital, scheduled for completion at the end of 1973.

Malaria is reported only in certain rural areas of the Colony. Of the few cases recorded in recent years most were either imported or recurrent cases. Malaria prevention in the urban areas is based chiefly on anti-larval measures, consisting of draining and clearing streams, ditching and oiling. In the greater part of the New Terri- tories, where the background is essentially rural, screening of build- ings, use of mosquito nets and chemoprophylaxis constitute the main protection against malaria. All anti-mosquito measures for the prevention of malaria are carried out by the Pest Control Section of the Urban Services Department. Clinical aspects of malaria control such as malaria surveys and chemotherapy are the responsibility of the Medical and Health Department.

Diphtheria continued to occur mainly among children under 10 years of age, predominantly within the pre-school age-group. The