ENG-1983 — Page 140

HEALTH

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organised by various agencies and closely monitored and co-ordinated by the Rehabilita- tion Development Co-ordinating Committee.

Severely mentally handicapped persons requiring intensive nursing care and medical treatment are cared for at the 200-bed Siu Lam Hospital and the 300-bed Caritas Medical Centre. A further 700 beds in this category have been planned for the next decade to meet the continuing need.

Dental Services

The School Dental Care Service provides regular dental examination and treatment services to primary school children. Essentially preventive in nature, the service has proved to be an appropriate and cost effective means of promoting dental health amongst school children. The response from parents and school authorities has been most encouraging: some 134 900 children, 49.9 per cent of Primary 1, 2, 3 and 4 pupils, participated during 1983, compared with 29 and 41 per cent in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Two school dental clinics have been established and six more are planned for the next four years. Dental health education programmes, through lectures and exhibitions, were held to promote dental health awareness in children and adults.

Training in dentistry is available at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital and its first 71 dentists will graduate in 1985. The Tang Shiu Kin Dental Therapists Training School is responsible for training the dental therapists required by the rapidly expanding school dental care programme.

The Government Dental Service provides dental care for all monthly-paid government servants and their dependants, as well as simple dental treatment for inmates of penal institutions and specialist treatment for patients in government hospitals. Emergency treatment is also provided for the public at a number of district dental clinics.

Port Health

The Port Health Service enforces control at Hong Kong International Airport and in the territory's waters to prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases and to carry out other measures required under the International Health Regulations.

The service provides facilities for vaccination and the issuing of international vaccination certificates. It also inspects and supervises the eradication of rats from ships on interna- tional voyages. It provides medical assistance to ships in the harbour, transmits medical advice to ships at sea, operates a 24-hour health clearance service for all incoming vessels, and grants radio pratique to ships.

The health staff also maintain close surveillance on the food catering service to international airlines to ensure that food and water supplied by the flight kitchen service is clean and safe. Epidemiological information is exchanged regularly with the World Health Organisation in Geneva and its Western Pacific regional office in Manila, and with neighbouring countries.

Refugees

The number of refugees arriving in Hong Kong continued to decrease during the year. Under the Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance 1982, all new arrivals were transferred to closed camps for quarantine and detention after initial disinfection procedures. The camps provide a range of facilities including recreational, social, medical and family planning services. The health status of the refugees is closely monitored and was found to be satisfactory.