ENG-1990 — Page 213

HEALTH

such as typhoons, rainstorms, landslides, aircraft crashes, large-scale fires, major epid- emics, civil disturbance, influx of illegal immigrants or refugees. When mobilisation is required in any crisis, AMS members would be deployed and supplied with emergency medical resources to provide first-aid treatment for the injured at the scene, to convey casualties to hospitals, to provide nursing care to patients at both acute and convalescent hospitals and to work in collaboration with other rescue forces.

Throughout the year, volunteer members provided supplementary medical services to government departments and outside agencies for life-guard duties, ambulance depot manning, clinical services in methadone centres and refugee camps, and first-aid coverage at country parks, cycling tracks, school activities and major public functions such as fireworks displays, Community Chest Walks, charity shows, local festivals and sports meetings. AMS continued to perform essential clinical duties round-the-clock at nine sick bays/medical clinics in six Vietnamese Boat People Centres. More than 683 000 man-hours. were committed to operational tasks in the year.

Another responsibility of the AMS is the provision of first-aid training to civil servants. In 1990, a total of 3 383 government servants completed the basic first-aid certificate course.

During the year, a new edition of the First Aid Manual Emergency Care Hand Book was published for first-aiders' reference and the emergency medical supplies scales were revised and updated. The foundation stone of the new AMS administrative and operational base in Ho Man Tin was laid by the Governor, the target completion date being early 1991.

Consideration is being given to establishing the AMS Cadet Corps in secondary schools to promote health and civic education by training students between 12 and 16 years old to provide first aid service for school activities.

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