ENG-1983 — Page 139

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HEALTH

diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles and rubella. During 1983, about 92 per cent of newborn babies were checked at the family health centres.

The comprehensive observation scheme to detect and assess early developmental abnormalities, and where necessary to provide follow-up treatment, is now available at 42 family health centres. Children attending these centres may, if their condition warrants it, be referred to child assessment centres or various specialist units for further examination. The system enables rehabilitation processes to start as early as possible. Six regional multi-disciplinary child assessment centres are included in medical projects for the decade.

Health education is extended to expectant mothers at major government hospitals, with particular emphasis placed on the promotion of breastfeeding. A telephone service is available to answer enquiries from the public. The government-subvented Family Planning Association of Hong Kong runs 31 birth control clinics providing various services, including vasectomy and female sterilisation services.

School Health

The School Medical Service Scheme is operated by an independent School Medical Service Board. Participation is voluntary and for a token fee of $5 a year children from Primary 1 to Form 3 can receive free medical attention from a general medical practitioner of the school's choice. The government contributes $50 a year for each pupil enrolled and also bears the administrative cost. The general response to the scheme is good: more than 280 000 school children from 859 schools have participated - representing more than 35 per cent of the eligible school population - and more than 250 general medical practitioners. have enlisted.

The School Health Service, a government responsibility, deals with the environmental health and sanitation of school premises and the control of communicable diseases. School health officers, health visitors and health inspectors make frequent inspections of schools to advise on matters concerning the health of children and organise health education activities and immunisation campaigns.

Mental Health

The Mental Health Service, in conjunction with other academic and voluntary bodies, provides a comprehensive psychiatric service for the mentally ill. Sophisticated treatment facilities are available at the two major psychiatric hospitals - Castle Peak Hospital with 1 927 beds and Kwai Chung Hospital with 1 078 beds and at psychiatric units in many regional and district hospitals. In line with the universal trend of operating smaller psychiatric units within general hospitals, an additional 2 030 beds are planned for such future medical projects.

Supplementing the hospital facilities are psychiatric day centres which provide a wide range of out-patient treatment, assessment, counselling and after-care services on a regional basis. The centres also operate day hospital places and provide other social, occupational and recreational therapy services for the mentally ill.

Special emphasis is placed on the follow-up and after-care of discharged mental patients during their integration back into the community. During the year, the newly-established Community Psychiatric Nursing Service was expanded on a regional basis to provide continuity in after-care treatment programmes to patients discharged from all mental institutions. Other complementary rehabilitative supporting services include after-care social services, placement services, half-way houses, long-stay care homes and social clubs