MAURINE
GRANTHAM
HEALTH
CENTRE
In the year 1952-3, it was stated in the annual report of the Director of Medical and Health Services, all sec- tions of the Medical Department worked at high pressure. During this period, attendances at hospitals and clinics showed no slackening and
accommodation, which was barely sufficient to meet the pre-war requirements of the Colony, was sub- ject to such pressure because of the considerable increase in the popula- tion that the staff worked under the most adverse circumstances and most Inadequate conditions.
Night sessions at certain out patient clinics continued to operate in an endeavour to keep up with the demands placed upon these institu- tions, but even this expedient did not prove to be sufficient and it was seldom that clinics were able to deal with the numbers attending each day.
For some time the need has been felt for Government Health Centres in the New Territories, and the first of these was recently completed at Tsun Wan to serve the requirements of its large and growing community. Tsun Wan is a fast expanding agri- cultural and industrial district in the New Territories. The Centre, which fulfils a great want in the area, will render good service to the public of that part of the New Territories in general, and of the thriving town of
Tsun Wan in particular.
View of the health centre from Castle Peak Road.
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The Centre was formally opened On the ground floor of the main by Lady Grantham in May; it is a building are situated a waiting hali modern and suitably equipped with an enquiry counter, three con- building specially designed to provide sulting rooms, a dispensary, a staff out-patient treatment and maternity room with an adjoining kitchen, care for local residents.
store and toilets. There is also a beds and a surgical dressing room casualty ward with room for two
where minor operations can be per- formed.
The Health Centre is designed on the lines of a cottage hospital and has been named the "Maurine Grantham Health Centre" in honour of Lady Grantham.
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The first floor is occupied by the The site is on the Castle Peak Road maternity department and contains at the outskirts of Tsun Wan and a nine-bed maternity ward with before building commenced, was a labour ward attached. There are also disused vlaying field, approximately a sister's duty room and a three-bed 170 feet by 100 feet. Owing to the isolation ward for maternity patients. poor condition of the ground, piles A large glass window between these had to be driven for the foundations. two latter rooms enables the nurse The Centre is L-shaped and is set on duty to keep these patients under back from the road to allow for the constant supervision. provision of a semi-circular drive to enable ambulances to approach the entrance of the building without in- terfering with through traffic along the main road.
The building consists of a three- storeyed main block lying parallel to the road with a small two-storeyed
wing at right angles to it.
Another view of the Centre from the main road.
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Also provided
on this floor are a ward kitchen. a sluice room, patients' toilets and bathroom, and a store.
The top floor is devoted entirely to ouarters for the staff. One half of this floor is for the nursing staff and contains four rooms each to accom- modate two nurses. a combined sit-
ting and dining room, a kitchen. toilet facilities and a spare room. The other half of the floor is divid- ed into two apartments, each com- prising a living room. two bedrooms. a kitchen and a bathroom, for the resident doctor and the health in- spector.
It was thought that it would be a great advantage to have the remain- der of the Centre's staff living on the premises and so accommodation has been provided for them in the small two-storeved wing. The ground floor contains two flatlets containing a bed-sitting room, kitchen and toilet for the clerk and dresser. The first floor has rooms for a vaccinator. a dispenser. four amahs and a coolie, in addition to lavatories and a store. Also on the ground floor of this wing are a small mortuary, a laundry and a store.
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