Annual departmental report by the Director of Medical and Health Services / Hong Kong.

  • Hong Kong. Medical Department.
Date:
[1962]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual departmental report by the Director of Medical and Health Services / Hong Kong. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    61/174 (page 49)
    Laboratory 207. The Bureau laboratory continued to carry out routine identi¬ fication and dissection of mosquitoes and the examination of blood smears collected at surveys. Susceptibility tests of anophelines to various insecticides were conducted from time to time and the results forwarded to the World Health Organization. SOCIAL HYGIENE SERVICES 208. This service which is the responsibility of the Social Hygiene Specialist consists of three branches dealing with dermatology, venereal diseases and leprosy. Facilities for the diagnosis of skin conditions are of considerable importance in bringing to light cases of latent syphilis and of early leprosy. Accordingly, the service is organized to provide 9 Centres for purely dermatology clinics; in addition there are thirteen social hygiene clinics, where venereal infections and leprosy undergo investigation and treatment and a number of cases of skin disease also attend. The Wanchai Hospital provides in-patient accommodation for the treatment of skin disease in women and beds for male patients are available at the Lai Chi Kok Hospital. 209. During the year the post of Social Hygiene Specialist remained vacant and the Principal Medical and Health Officer (Health) at Medical Headquarters was responsible for the administrative aspects of the service. It is believed that the Specialist post will be filled by the middle of 1962. Dermatology 210. The dermatology clinics held at the nine centres recorded a total attendance of 6,094 cases referred for an opinion. At the Social Hygiene Clinics there were a further 12,173 first attendances for skin complaints which is 47.2% of the total of new cases seen at these clinics. 211. Biopsies, microscopic and culture examinations for fungi and tests for uroporphyrin are carried out at the clinics. Patients requiring radio-therapy for skin conditions are referred to the Sai Ying Pun Polyclinic. 212. Griseofulvin (s now the treatment of choice for ringworm of the body, hair and nails. Neurodermatitis is treated at the Wan Chai Hospital with hydrocortisone lotion, using the vibro puncture technique. Discoid lupus erythematosis responds well to Plaquinol which has proved to be one of the less toxic chloroquin derivatives.