ENG-1989 — Page 179

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HEALTH

ON April 1, 1989, the Medical and Health Department was re-organised into the Depart- ment of Health and the Hospital Services Department. The two departments work together to provide a balanced programme of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services.

The Department of Health provides a wide range of services to promote health and prevent diseases. These include personal health services like out-patient clinics, family health and family planning, health education and community health, non-regionalised health services like chest health and tuberculosis, social hygiene, child assessment, dental health, occupational health, disease surveillance, public health and special health services like preventive programmes on AIDS and hepatitis, environmental health, port health, radiation health, drug addiction treatment, as well as various paramedical services. Through collaboration with the private sector and teaching institutions, the department strives to provide a comprehensive range of primary health care services to the local community.

The Hospital Services Department is responsible for carrying out government policies on hospital services and advising the government, through the Health and Welfare Branch, on the operational implications of these policies. The department operates a range of regional, district and convalescent hospitals, supporting specialist clinics and other facilities, including community nursing, day centres and rehabilitation services. A multi-disciplinary approach in medical rehabilitation is undertaken which includes the provision of occupa- tional therapy, physiotherapy, prosthetic service, psychological services, speech therapy and community care in medical rehabilitation centres, day hospitals, out-patient clinics and polyclinics.

In 1987, the government decided to establish a statutory Hospital Authority to oversee the delivery of public hospital services in Hong Kong. A Provisional Hospital Authority was set up in October 1988 under the chairmanship of Sir S. Y. Chung to make preparations for the formation of the Hospital Authority, which is expected to be established in 1990.

The two departments are embarking on an extensive development programme which includes the construction of at least three additional major acute public hospitals in Chai Wan, East Kowloon and North District and 16 additional clinics and polyclinics. Development of rehabilitation services is also an integral part of the overall planning of the development programme.

For the 1989-90 financial year, the allocation of funds to the government medical and health services amounts to $3,939 million. In addition, subventions totalling $1,629

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