ENG-1985 — Page 162

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HEALTH

Training schools for registered psychiatric nurses are at the Kwai Chung Hospital and Castle Peak Hospital, with an average annual training capacity of 120 and 40 respectively. Two more training schools are planned for the next decade. Psychiatric enrolled nurses are trained at Castle Peak Hospital and the intake capacity will be increased to 80 annually in 1986.

The average annual training capacity for psychiatric registered nurses and enrolled nurses in the government mental institutions is 160 and 60 respectively. Two more training centres for the former grade and one additional training centre for the latter grade have been planned in the coming decade in anticipation of a steady demand on the Mental Health Service.

There is an increasing awareness of the need for continued training and education for nurses. The post-basic school of the Nurse Training Unit continues to provide regular post-registration courses in midwifery, health nursing and community health nursing.

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In-service training for prosthetists and mould laboratory technicians is provided by the respective units in the Medical and Health Department.

The Institute of Medical and Health Care at the Hong Kong Polytechnic provides training for para-medical and para-dental staff including radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical laboratory technicians, dental technicians and dental surgery assistants.

Government Laboratory

The Government Laboratory conducts analytical, advisory and investigative work in chemistry and the allied sciences, and provides scientific support services for the imple- mentation of government policy on health.

During the year, the laboratory offered a comprehensive and impartial analytical service and scientific advice to government departments and public institutions. Dangerous goods, government purchases, pesticide formulations and forged consumer goods remained the main areas of interest.

Work on setting up a radiochemistry unit was in progress to provide support to the background radiation monitoring programme prior to the operation of a proposed nuclear power plant in Daya Bay, in China. Cigarettes continued to be tested for tar and nicotine yields and two further biannual tables were published showing the brands ranked according to tar yields.

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Analytical work on air and water samples, undertaken principally for the Environmental Protection Agency, continued undiminished. The laboratory was also increasingly called upon to carry out tests for the presence of toxic substances in factory atmospheres and industrial emissions on behalf of the Labour Department.

Pharmaceutical products were tested regularly. Close liaison with the Medical and Health Department was maintained to ensure that pharmaceutical products complied with the required standards of safety, quality and efficiency before being marketed in Hong Kong or prior to dispensing at government hospitals and clinics.

Food commodities continued to be tested for compliance with the Regulations of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance. Increase in concern over the use of hormones in animal husbandry has resulted in a much extended survey to ensure poultry products are not contaminated by the illegal use of hormones.

The laboratory also provided a urine testing service to support the government's methadone maintenance programme in the treatment of drug abusers.