View report page

12
APPENDIX
THE ROLE OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
MAIN FIELDS
OF ACTIVITY
CURRENT MAJOR
PREOCCUPATIONS
1. Environmental Health
General sanitation ; drainage ;
housing; food; pest control;
factories ; offices, shops and
railway premises ; clean air;
noise; radiological safety.
Unsatisfactory Housing in
Multiple Occupation.
2. Communicable Disease Control
Investigation of cases and
contacts; disinfection and
disinfestation; protection of
susceptibles.
Maintenance of satisfactory
vaccination and immunization
states against serious infectious
diseases.
3. Maternal and Child Health
Family planning; maternity
services including domiciliary
midwifery; developmental
examinations (and vaccination
and immunization) in infancy
and early childhood; medical
supervision of handicapped
children particularly and of
school pupils generally; dental
service for expectant and
nursing mothers, pre-school and
school children.
Encouragement of family
planning.
Early detection of physical and
mental handicap in order to
keep disability to a minimum
and preserve educational
potential at a maximum.
Reduction of present high
incidence of dental decay.
4. Prevention of Illness
Promotion of health at all ages
through the fostering of healthy
personal habits and pursuits
(and of the specific individual
protection provided by vaccination
and immunization); the
selective screening of the population
to detect important
symptomless conditions; and
the implementation of communal
protective measures of proven
value.
Development of comprehensive
health education programme
to inculcate sense of individual
and communal responsibility for
the maintenance of health and,
as a corollary, to persuade those
most in need of the health
services available to make full
use of them.