§ 94. Mr. Awberyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what percentage of the people of Hong Kong are suffering from tuberculosis; and what steps are being taken to provide the necessary treatment for these sufferers and to deal with the chief cause of this disease, which is overcrowding.
§ Mr. Profumo:The exact percentage is not known. 12,000 cases were notified in 1956 and it is believed that rather more than this number were treated privately without official notification. Examinations of employed adults show that roughly 2 per cent. have the disease actively. Treatment of cases during 1956 included 456,000 attendances at Government clinics. With the opening of a new hospital on 6th June there will be 1,440 beds for tubercular patients. 29,000 persons received B.C.G. vaccination in 1956. 131,000 persons were rehoused in 1956 and it is estimated that nearly 110,000 more will be rehoused this year.