ENG-1992 — Page 177

HEALTH

398 759 children from 991 schools participated, representing 78 per cent of the primary school population.

The Oral Health Education Unit of the Department of Health organises oral health education activities for the community. In 1992, an exhibition on Healthy Teeth, Happy Life was organised.. The unit has also planned a three-year oral health education pro- gramme for pre-school children. This will be launched in February 1993.

The Government Dental Service provides emergency treatment for the public at a number of district dental clinics. Dental treatment is also provided for inmates of correctional institutions and patients in public hospitals.

Services for the Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped

Medical services for mentally ill persons include treatment in hospitals, out-patient clinics and day hospitals and out-reaching services. The Mental Health Service, in conjunction with local academic and non-governmental organisations, provides a comprehensive psychiatric service for the territory. Emphasis is placed on continuity of care and integrating rehabilitation with medical treatment.

At the end of 1992, 3 514 beds were provided in psychiatric hospitals, and 879 beds in public psychiatric units of general hospitals, with 871 additional beds being planned for mentally ill persons in various public hospitals. Psychiatric patients are treated, as far as possible, in the community. The community work and aftercare units of the psychiatric hospitals provide multi-disciplinary assistance to patients discharged from these hospitals. Community psychiatric nursing service and domiciliary occupational therapy service in particular aim to provide continual care and treatment programmes for discharged mental patients in their home setting, thereby assisting them in social readjustment and educating patients as well as their families in mental health. There are now nine Community Psychiatric Nursing Service centres and two more are being planned. The various other complementary rehabilitative services include day centres, half-way houses, longstay care homes, vocational training, selective placement and social clubs offered by various government departments and non-government organisations.

Severely mentally handicapped persons requiring intensive nursing care and rehabi- litation services are cared for in Tuen Mun Hospital with 200 beds, Caritas Medical Centre with 300 beds and Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital with 10 beds. In order to meet the great demand in this area, a further 676 beds have been planned.

Support Services

The Pathology Service of the Department of Health provides both clinical and public health laboratory services for government clinics and some public hospitals.

The Forensic Pathology Service with its fully-established forensic laboratory works closely with the Royal Hong Kong Police on the medical aspects of criminology and other medico-legal work. It also performs investigations in all homicides and coroners' cases.

The Virus Unit is the central laboratory for the diagnosis and surveillance of viral infections including HIV infections. It provides laboratory support for the screening, assessment and guidance of vaccination programmes against viral diseases. Moreover, the Institute of Immunology undertakes the monitoring and quality control of biological products, including vaccines for use in local health services.

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