176 | Health
Between them they recruited 135 nursing pupils into their two-year Diploma in General Nursing (Enrolled Nurse) programmes. During the year, 43 nurses with professional nursing qualifications obtained outside Hong Kong passed the licensing examinations for registered nurses or enrolled nurses conducted by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong and were awarded practising certificates.
The Hospital Authority provides basic registered nurse training through its three- year higher diploma programme. A total of 300 registered nurse students were recruited by the Hospital Authority in 2009. The Hospital Authority also runs a two- year enrolled nurse basic training programme and recruited a total of 240 pupil nurses in 2009. During the year, it also recruited 110 pupil nurses into its two-year enrolled nurse basic training programme for the social welfare sector.
The Hospital Authority is committed to strengthening the core competence of nurses and enhancing the quality of nursing care. In line with its overall strategies on healthcare services, its Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies seeks to strengthen the training of nurses in the primary and community care services and to organise. training courses to encourage nurses to improve their professional standards through continuous learning. Courses offered by the institute include specialty nursing certificate courses, professional competence enhancement programmes and e-learning programmes. The Hospital Authority also actively promotes exchanges between nurses in Hong Kong and the Mainland, Macao and other countries.
Laboratory Services
Government Laboratory
The Government Laboratory offers a comprehensive range of analytical and advisory services to support the Government in upholding its various commitments to the protection of public health. In the financial year 2008-09, the Government Laboratory spent $153.92 million on providing analytical services for the protection of public health.
In 2009, a total of 175 761 tests were carried out on a wide range of foods to ensure they were safe for consumption and that they met statutory standards. The laboratory also provided testing services for investigations into food complaints. A total of 19 776 such tests were conducted in 2009. The laboratory continues to outsource some of its routine testing work to commercial laboratories enabling it to better use its existing resources for conducting additional food tests resulting from its broadened food surveillance operations and new chemical methods of testing foods.
The laboratory also continues to provide a service for analysing the quality of western and Chinese medicines. In 2009, it carried out a total of 46 713 tests on western pharmaceutical products and 68 864 on Chinese medicines to ensure they met recognised quality and safety standards. Tests were also carried out on proprietary Chinese medicines to ensure they were not adulterated with western drugs, controlled substances, and other harmful ingredients.
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