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Health
Under the Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly, outreach dental teams set up by NGOs receive government subsidies and provide free dental services, including fillings, extractions and dentures, to elderly people in residential care homes and similar facilities.
The department's Healthy Teeth Collaboration programme provides dental services to adults with intellectual disability who are recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or the Disability Allowance, or are eligible for the Hospital Authority's medical fee waiver. The department's Special Oral Care Service in Hong Kong Children's Hospital and the Social Welfare Department's outreach dental programme in special child care centres provide dental care for pre-school children under six with intellectual disability.
Mental Health
The government adopts an integrated approach in promoting mental health, encompassing prevention, early identification, timely intervention and rehabilitation. Cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary support and care services are available through collaboration among government bodies and other relevant organisations including the Food and Health Bureau, Labour and Welfare Bureau, Education Bureau, Hospital Authority, Social Welfare Department and Department of Health.
The Hospital Authority is a major medical service provider for people with mental disorders. Its psychiatric services include inpatient facilities, day hospitals, specialist outpatient clinics and community outreach. In 2019-20, about 270,700 people received treatment and support through these services.
The Advisory Committee on Mental Health advises the government on mental health policy. It also follows up on and monitors the implementation of recommendations in the Mental Health Review Report to further enhance mental health services. The committee launched 'Shall we Talk, a mental health promotion and public education initiative, in July, and initiated a pilot scheme to test out a new service protocol to provide a better service for children and adolescents with mental health needs.
Other Special Services
Specialist facilities under the department include 19 methadone clinics, 17 chest clinics, eight social hygiene clinics, four dermatological clinics, one integrated treatment centre, four centres and clinics providing services related to clinical genetics, seven child assessment centres and two travel health centres. These facilities recorded around 2.2 million attendances in 2020.
Secondary, Tertiary and Specialised Health Care
These services are available mainly in the Hospital Authority's hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics. As at 31 December, the city had 29,791 public hospital beds, comprising 23,466 general beds, 2,001 infirmary beds, 3,647 beds for the mentally ill and 677 for the mentally handicapped. There were also 5,050 private hospital beds, comprising 4,682 inpatient beds and 368 day beds; 6,465 beds in nursing homes and 874 in institutions run by the Correctional Services
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