ENG-2013 — Page 183

8

Health

(www.toothclub.gov.hk) and a 24-hour interactive hotline. In November 2013, the DH launched the annual 'Love Teeth Campaign' to encourage good dental habits.

In 2011, the government launched a three-year pilot project to provide outreach primary dental care services for the elderly in residential care homes and day care centres. By the end of 2013, 24 outreach dental teams from 13 NGOs had been set up, providing basic dental care services to about 59,000 elderly people in more than 730 residential care homes for the elderly and day care centres. The pilot project will be turned into a recurrent programme in 2014.

In 2013, the FHB (in collaboration with Hong Kong Dental Association, the Hong Kong Special Care Dentistry Association and the Evangel Hospital) launched a four-year pilot project to provide dental services for patients with moderate intellectual disability (ID). At present, patients with moderate ID aged 18 or above who are receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, on referral by rehabilitation service units of welfare NGOs (such as sheltered workshops), can receive check-ups, dental treatment and oral health education in the dental clinics participating in this pilot project. If necessary, other dental services can be arranged for them under intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia in a hospital with appropriate medical support.

The DH also conducts a special oral health promotion programme, 'Dandelion Oral Care Action, to help children with mild to moderate ID in special schools take care of their oral hygiene themselves.

Mental Health

The government adopts a holistic approach in promoting mental health through a service delivery model that covers prevention, early identification, timely intervention and treatment, and rehabilitation for persons in need. Government funding for mental health services hast increased from $3.39 billion in 2007-08 to $4.79 billion in 2012-13.

As a major medical service provider for people with mental disorders in Hong Kong, the HA provides a spectrum of services ranging from inpatient facilities, day hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics to community outreach services. In 2012-13, over 195,000 persons with mental health problems received treatment and support through the HA's various psychiatric services.

Psychiatric inpatient care is essential to facilitate symptom control, behavioural management and early recovery for patients experiencing acute psychiatric crisis. In 2012-13, some 14,000 patients received in-patient care in the HA's psychiatric units, of whom about 700 required long- term care and had been hospitalised for more than one year. The HA maintained 3,607 psychiatric beds and the bed occupancy rate remained steady at around 80 per cent.

Psychiatric day hospitals provide a range of treatment and rehabilitation services for patients who attend for a number of hours in a week. The HA provided about 889 psychiatric day. hospital places in 2012-13.

143