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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 50 Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) and three Woman Health
Centres (WHCs). Anticipatory guidance on child-care and parenting are
provided for parents and care-givers to bring up healthy and well-adjusted
children. Immunisation, health assessment and developmental surveillance
services are offered to children at MCHCs. Antenatal, postnatal and family
planning services are provided for women of child-bearing age. About 44
per cent of expectant mothers and 94 per cent of newborns attended MCHCs
in 2003. The Woman Health Service is available in the three WHCs and 10
MCHCs, providing health education, counselling and appropriate screening
service to women aged 64 or below.
The government-subvented Family Planning Association
of Hong Kong runs eight 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. A Cervical Disease
Clinic was opened in 2003. 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. School 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, 10 social hygiene clinics, five dermatology clinics,
three clinical genetic clinics, seven child assessment centres and other
clinic services. About 10 million visits to clinics were recorded in 2003.
During the year, 59 general out-patient clinics operated by the department
were transferred to the Hospital Authority to enhance integration of primary
and specialist care.
Apart from public service facilities, members of the
community may seek medical treatment from the private sector, which includes
medical practitioners working in private practices and 178 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 436 000 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 home page (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 patients and those with special oral health needs. In addition,
there are 11 designated dental clinics which provide emergency dental
service to the public. |
