ENG-1986 — Page 169

HEALTH

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visits and training courses, either through bilateral arrangements with their governments or under the sponsorship of a United Nations body, such as the World Health Organi- sation or the Colombo Plan Bureau. Experienced officers from the Narcotics Division, the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and the Customs and Excise Department travelled over- seas to act as lecturers or consultants on training courses related to anti-narcotics work.

Environmental Hygiene

The work of the Urban Services Department and the Regional Services Department includes street cleansing, collection and removal of refuse and nightsoil, cleansing of gullies, management of public toilets and bathhouses, pest control and the disposal of the dead.

In the urban areas, a regular workforce of about 5 400 is employed in cleansing duties. This cleansing force is equipped with a fleet of 397 specialised vehicles which include refuse collection vehicles, street-washers, mechanical sweepers, nightsoil collectors, gully emptiers and mobile toilets. All streets are swept at least once daily, either mechanically or manually, while busier thoroughfares are swept from four to eight times a day. Streets are also hosed down regularly. A daily refuse collection service is provided to all built-up areas in the territory and about 2 800 tonnes of refuse and junk are collected every day. A free nightsoil collection service is also provided in those areas which do not have a water-borne sewage disposal system.

The Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign Committee implemented a six-phase clean-up programme covering housing estates, block-to-block cleansing, squatter areas, villages, beaches, countryside and highways. A general beautification programme was also incor- porated into the clean-up programme. In addition to education, publicity and community involvement, law enforcement was still the major tactic against littering. During the year, 48 924 people were fined $8,885,547 for littering offences.

In the Regional Council area, although regular cleansing duties are mainly carried out by a workforce of 3 500 and a specialised fleet of over 200 vehicles, street sweeping in Shek Wu Hui and Luen Wo Hui in the North District is being carried out by contract labour. The cleansing of the Tolo Highway and Tuen Mun Highway was taken over by the Highways Department's contractor in 1986.

The waste collection service collects an average of 1 300 tonnes of refuse and junk every day. Law enforcement remained the major tactic in combating indiscriminate littering and in 1986, 8 000 people were convicted of litter offences in the Regional Council area.

Controls

In maintaining and improving standards of hygiene through the enforcement of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, health inspectors of the Urban Services Department and the Regional Services Department regularly inspect licensed and permitted premises, common parts of residential and commercial buildings, construction and vacant sites and squatter areas throughout the territory. They also carry out inspections to deal with complaints on sanitation and vermin infestation. The staff of the Urban Services Department and the Regional Services Department also work closely with the staff of the Medical and Health Department in the investigation and control of food poisoning outbreaks and infectious diseases.

Pest control staff continued to employ integrated programmes to control rodents, mosquitoes, flies and other public health pests. Preventive action included environmental improvement and health education. These measures were supplemented by the eradication