ENG-1979 — Page 125

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HEALTH

To ensure the efficient use of hospital beds and medical facilities, medical and health services have been regionalised since April, 1977, with the territory being divided into four regions. The objective is to bring about a better appreciation of the medical and health needs of the main population centres. The results of regionalisation have been encouraging. Although the demand for services at two regional hospitals - Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital - continues to be high, congestion has eased somewhat and the bed occupancy in various district hospitals has increased significantly. The east New Territories will become the fifth region when the Sha Tin Hospital begins operating in 1983.

In addition to hospitals and clinics, the Medical and Health Department provides services covering family health, school health, mental health, industrial health, port health and the control of communicable diseases, with community nursing being the latest development.

For the 1979-80 financial year the Medical and Health Department's estimated expendi- ture is $633.7 million. In addition, subventions totalling about $339.8 million are being made to many non-government medical institutions and organisations. The estimated capital expenditure on hospitals and other buildings, including furniture and equipment, is $203.6 million.

Health of the Community

Hong Kong's general standard of health is comparable with that of most advanced countries, as exemplified by the low infant mortality rate and the absence of common childhood communicable diseases such as diphtheria and poliomyelitis. This achievement can be attributed to the emphasis placed on primary health care which focuses on prevention, immunisation and early detection through maternal and child care services.

Cancer and heart diseases are the main causes of death in Hong Kong. The incidence of and the number of deaths from tuberculosis continues to drop. About 98 per cent of new- born babies are vaccinated with BCG – perhaps the highest rate in the world. As a result, tuberculosis is now rare among those under 15. Territory-wide publicity programmes have been intensified in the past two years in order to tackle the main sources of infection.

Venereal diseases are treated free at social hygiene clinics. Only a small percentage of the patients are teenagers. Energetic control measures such as contact tracing, following up defaulters and routine antenatal blood testing are directed at interrupting the chain of infection.

Malaria transmission has ceased in Hong Kong. However, anti-larval operations such as the draining and clearing of streams and oiling are still carried out. Poliomyelitis has been eradicated; however, oral vaccines are available at family health centres.

Measles was at one time prevalent among young children but, since the introduction of an anti-measles vaccine in 1967, its incidence has been drastically reduced. In September, 1978, rubella vaccination was introduced into the immunisation programme. The immunisa- tion is directed at girls aged 11 to 14 years and at women of child-bearing age.

Four cases of cholera were reported in 1979. All necessary precautionary control measures were undertaken to prevent the spread of the infection.

Hospitals

There are three types of hospitals in Hong Kong - government, government-assisted, and private, with a total of 20,606 beds representing 4.2 beds per thousand of the population. Institutions operated by the Armed Forces are excluded. The four major regional hospitals are Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Kwong Wah and Princess Margaret Hospitals.