ENG-2008 — Page 209

Health 1 157

Clinic Services

Public outpatient clinic services are offered primarily to low-income families, patients with chronic diseases and other vulnerable groups. In 2008, some 1.29 million people used these services, with 4.9 million attendances recorded. At present, the Hospital Authority operates 74 general outpatient clinics in Hong Kong.

The Government lends its support to the development of family medicine, provides specialist training in family medicine and facilitates the integration of primary and secondary healthcare. Some $1.5 billion was spent on outpatient and family medicine services during the 2007-08 financial year.

To promote the development of 'evidence-based' Chinese medicine practice and to increase training opportunities for local Chinese medicine graduates, the Hospital Authority opened 12 Chinese medicine outpatient clinics in 2008. A Government subvention of $61 million was provided for the clinics. A total of 53 904 patients made 312 281 visits to the 12 clinics, and 85 new graduates were recruited into the clinics.

The majority of Hong Kong people seek outpatient services provided by about 3 700 medical practitioners' offices and clinics in the private sector. Services are also provided by 5 932 registered Chinese medicine practitioners (including 72 with limited registration) and 2 823 listed Chinese medicine practitioners.

About 27 million outpatient visits are made to western medicine clinics and six million to Chinese medicine practitioners' clinics in the private sector each year. The majority of people in Hong Kong can afford these services.

Family Health

The Department of Health provides a range of health promotion and disease. prevention services through its 31 maternal and child health centres and three women health centres for children up to five years of age, and women aged 64 or below. Guidance services on child care and parenting are provided for parents and care-givers in the centres. Immunisation and health and development checks are offered to children. Antenatal, postnatal, family planning, cervical screening and health education are provided for women. Some 26 000 expectant mothers and 61 000 newborns attended maternal and child health centres, representing about 33 per cent and 78 per cent respectively of the total in 2008.

The government-subvented Family Planning Association (FPA) of Hong Kong offers services and health information on sexual and reproductive health treatment and counselling at its clinics, youth healthcare centres, women's clubs, and libraries which received a subsidy amounting to $32.66 million in the 2007-08 financial year. Over 100 000 people received these services in 2008.

Student Health

The Department of Health provides health checks and individual counselling to primary and secondary school students at its 12 student health service centres and three special assessment centres. A total of 752 021 students between the age of six and 19 received the services in the 2007-08 school year.