ENG-1986 — Page 165

HEALTH

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The training of registered psychiatric nurses is conducted at the Kwai Chung Hospital and Castle Peak Hospital, and of psychiatric enrolled nurses at Castle Peak Hospital. The average in-take capacity for psychiatric registered nurses and enrolled nurses is 160 and 60 respectively. Three more training schools for psychiatric nurses have been planned for the coming decade to meet the steady demand on the Mental Health Service.

The need for continued training and education for nurses is being recognised. The post-basic school of the Nurse Training Unit provides post-registration courses in midwifery, health nursing and community health nursing on a regular basis. In-service training for prosthetists, and mould laboratory technicians is provided by the respective units in 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. There are opportunities for overseas training in specialised areas for nursing, para-medical and para-dental staff. The Shatin Technical Institute of the Technical Education and Industrial Training Department, provides training for dispensers, which is complemented by in-service departmental training.

Government Laboratory

The Government Laboratory conducts analytical, advisory and investigative work in chemistry and the allied sciences and provides scientific support for the implementation of government policy on health. During the year the laboratory offered comprehensive and impartial scientific advice to government departments and public institutions.

Chemical analyses of air, water and waste management samples, undertaken principally for the Environmental Protection Department, increased substantially. Analytical support was also provided to the Royal Observatory for the Background Air Pollution Monitoring Network and a radiochemistry unit set up to determine the background radiation levels prior to the operation of the nuclear power plant in Daya Bay in China.

The laboratory also carried out measurements of industrial emissions and factory atmospheres on behalf of the Labour Department. A 24-hour support service was provided to assist the emergency services in cases of chemical spills, fires involving dangerous goods and accidents caused by gases in confined spaces.

Close liaison with the Medical and Health Department was maintained to ensure that pharmaceutical products sold and used locally complied with registration and labelling requirements. Herbal medicines were checked for inclusion of synthetic drugs and their toxic metal content.

Food items were tested for compliance with the regulations of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance. Particular emphasis was given to the detection of hormone residues in meats to ensure that they were not contaminated by the illegal use of hormones in animal husbandry.

Other aspects of the laboratory's work included the classification of dangerous goods, quality checks on government purchases and certain export commodities, analyses of pesticide formulations and residues and identification of a variety of spurious consumer goods. Dutiable items were examined for revenue purposes and two further biannual tables were published showing cigarette brands ranked according to tar and nicotine yields to support the government's anti-smoking efforts.

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

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