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Mental Health

HEALTH

The Mental Health Service provides full-time care at the Castle Peak Hospital for all types of psychiatric patients, who are mostly admitted voluntarily. The psychiatric unit in Kowloon Hospital and the university psychiatric unit in Queen Mary Hospital provide a comprehensive psychiatric service in a general hospital setting. Outpatient treatment is available in the urban areas and in the New Territories, and day-patients are treated at the Hong Kong Psychiatric Centre, the psychiatric unit in Kowloon Hospital, and the Yau Ma Tei Psychiatric Centre. The latter also provides special facilities for the observation and treatment of disturbed children. Occupational, social and recreational therapies are provided in all centres and units. The severely sub-normal are cared for at the Siu Lam Hospital. Voluntary agencies are working closely with the Mental Health Service to assist in the rehabilitation of patients before their return to full activities in the community.

Port Health

The Port Health Service is concerned with preventing the introduction of quaran- tinable diseases into Hong Kong, the sanitary control of port and airport areas, and the provision of facilities as required by the International Health Regulations.

It provides facilities for vaccination and the issue of International Vaccination Certificates; and for inspection and deratting and the issue of International Deratting Certificates or Deratting Exemption Certificates to ships or international voyages. The service also renders medical assistance to ships in the harbour and transmits free medical advice to ships at sea. It maintains a 24-hour quarantine service covering sea and air and the granting of radio pratique to ships from clean ports on request.

Industrial Health

The Industrial Health Service provides an advisory service on all matters affecting the health and welfare of workers. The main objective is to prevent occupational diseases and to promote health at work. The professional and technical officers from this service carry out routine and special biological and environmental monitoring. The industrial health laboratory has been designated as a collaborating laboratory in air pollution by the World Health Organisation.

Hospitals

There are three types of hospitals in Hong Kong-government, government- assisted, and private, with a total of 17,580 beds representing four beds per thousand population. Institutions operated by the Armed Forces are excluded. The occupancy of some hospitals is actually higher than the normal bed capacities as temporary beds are used whenever the need arises.

Queen Mary Hospital with a capacity of 1,150 beds is the main general hospital for Hong Kong Island. Although it is maintained by the government, it is also the teaching hospital for the medical school of the University of Hong Kong.