HONG KONG 2004

The Family Health Service of the Department of Health provides a comprehensive range of health promotion and disease prevention services for children from birth to five years and women aged 64 or below. The service operates through 38 maternal and child health centres and three woman health centres. Guidance on child-care and parenting are provided for parents and care-givers to bring up healthy and well-adjusted children. Immunisation, health and developmental surveillance services are offered to children at maternal and child health centres. Antenatal, postnatal, family planning and cervical screening services are provided for women as appropriate. About 44 per cent of expectant mothers and 94 per cent of newborns attended maternal and child health centres in 2004. The Woman Health Service is available in the three woman health centres and 10 maternal and child health centres, providing health education, counselling and screening service to women aged 64 or below.

The government-subvented Family Planning Association of Hong Kong runs seven clinics, three youth health care centres, a mobile clinic, a mobile library, a reference library and seven women's clubs. The services encompass fertility regulation, women's health check-up, pre-marital and pre-pregnancy preparation, menopause service, subfertility service, youth counselling and men's health check-up. Over 120 000 clients were recorded in 2004. The Association also offers family life education and sexuality education, and organises outreaching activities and publicity campaigns to advocate and promote responsible parenthood, and sexual and reproductive health among individuals, families and the community.

The Student Health Service of the Department of Health places emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention and continuity of care. Its 12 student health service centres and three special assessment centres provide health assessment, health education and individual health counselling to all primary and secondary school students. The Adolescent Health Programme was introduced in the 2002-03 school year to promote psychosocial health in secondary schools. School health inspectors visit schools regularly regarding environmental hygiene and sanitation. Health officers and nurses advise on the control of communicable diseases and organise immunisation campaigns.

The Department of Health provides Elderly Health Services through 18 elderly health centres and 18 visiting health teams to enhance primary health care for the elderly, improve their self-care ability, encourage healthy living and strengthen family support so as to minimise illness and disability. Elderly health centres provide an integrated health service including health assessment, physical check-up, counselling, curative treatment, and health education to people aged 65 and above. Visiting health teams reach into the community and residential care settings to conduct health promotion activities for the elderly and to provide training to carers to enhance their health knowledge and skills in caring for the elderly.

The Department of Health operates 20 methadone clinics, 19 tuberculosis and chest clinics, eight social hygiene clinics, four dermatology clinics, one integrated treatment centre, three clinical genetic clinics, seven child assessment centres and other clinic services. About 7.9 million visits to clinics were recorded in 2004. The Hospital Authority operates 74 general out-patient clinics and three Chinese medicine out-patient clinics. There were continuing efforts in promoting the development of family medicine at these clinics and enhancing the integration of primary and specialist care.

Apart from public service facilities, the community may seek medical treatment from the private sector, which includes medical practitioners working in private practice and 175 clinics registered under the Medical Clinics Ordinance.

Preventive services are delivered through the School Dental Care Service of the Department of Health which provides annual dental examination and basic dental care to about 426 500 children annually. A 24-hour interactive voice response system at the telephone hotline provides voice and fax information on the service and on oral health. The public can also visit the School Dental Care Service homepage (http://www.schooldental.gov.hk) for updated information. The Department of Health monitors the level of fluoridation in the communal water supply in order to reduce dental decay among the population.

Specialist oral health care services are provided to hospital in-patients and those with special oral health needs. In addition, there are 11 designated dental clinics which provide emergency dental service to the public.