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Health

Public Health Laboratory Services

The Department of Health's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch conducts laboratory tests on clinical and surveillance specimens and provides clinical diagnostic and public health laboratory services to the public and private sectors for patient care and other public health purposes.

The branch's Public Health Laboratory Centre is designated by the WHO as a National Influenza Centre, National Poliovirus Laboratory, National Measles Laboratory of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Supranational TB Reference Laboratory, Regional Reference Laboratory for measles in the Western Pacific Region, Global Influenza A(H5) Reference Laboratory and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Reference Laboratory.

Auxiliary Medical Service

The Auxiliary Medical Service is a government department under the Security Bureau, with 99 civil servants and about 6,000 adult volunteers and cadets. It reinforces regular medical and ambulance services during emergencies and provides backup in normal circumstances. The volunteers come from all walks of life and include doctors, nurses, pharmacists and paramedics. All are qualified Disaster Medical Assistants. The cadets, aged 12 to 17, receive training in discipline and medical skills to develop self-discipline and a sense of responsibility.

During weekends and public holidays, the department deploys members at first aid stations in country parks and along cycling tracks, and assigns First Aid Bicycle Teams to cycling tracks in the New Territories. It also runs programmes on first aid at schools and gives talks to the public on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other health topics.

Websites

AIDS Hotline Website: www.27802211.com

Auxiliary Medical Service: www.ams.gov.hk

Centre for Health Protection: www.chp.gov.hk

Cervical Cancer Screening: www.cervicalscreening.gov.hk

Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme: www.colonscreen.gov.hk

Department of Health: www.dh.gov.hk

eHealth Record Office: www.eHealth.gov.hk

Family Health Service: www.fhs.gov.hk

Food and Health Bureau: www.fhb.gov.hk

Gay Men HIV Testing Hotline: www.21171069.com

Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health: www.smokefree.hk

Hospital Authority: www.ha.org.hk

Oral Health Education Unit: www.toothclub.gov.hk

Organ Donation: www.organdonation.gov.hk

Red Ribbon Centre: www.rrc.gov.hk

School Dental Care Service: www.schooldental.gov.hk/wsmile/aboutus_intro_c.html Travel Health Service: www.travelhealth.gov.hk

Virtual AIDS Office: www.info.gov.hk/aids/

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