23-47    Conditions of Public Health
Item	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Number of Registered Medical Personnel①(person)
Doctors	9289	9527	9818	10130	10412
Dentists	1684	1724	1779	1826	1855
Pharmacists	1143	1212	1273	1315	1362
Nurses	37880	39250	38960	40388	42032
Doctors Per Thousand Population	1.4	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.5
Number of Medical Institutions and Hospital Beds
Medical Institutions                (number)	96	102	105	102	99
Hospital Beds                          (bed)	30800	32836	34286	35100	34852
Beds Per Thousand Population	4.7	5.0	5.2	5.2	5.2
Notes: Figures are as at end of the year.
①Statistics on the registered medical personnel are maintained by the Medical Council for doctors, Dental Council for dentists, Nursing Council
for nurses and Pharmacy and Poisons Board for pharmacists. Annual renewal of practising certificate is required for doctors, dentists and
pharmacists. Figures for doctors/dentists refer to the doctors/dentists with full registration on both the local and overseas lists. Figures for
nurses refer to both registered nurses and enrolled nurses.