THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, OCTOBER 6, 1916.
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2. Did the Principal Civil Medical Officer know, when the Estimates for the Government Staff at
the Hospitals for 1916 were prepared :-
(1) That Sisters Craddock, Bone and Astin had recently resigned from the Service,
and had not been replaced; and
(2) That Sisters Everingham and Wood would shortly be completing their 3 years'
term of Service with the Government; and
(3) That Sister Millington would be retiring from the Service in 1916, and that the following Sisters would, during the course of 1916 complete their 4 years of Service in the Colony, namely, Sisters Gorham, Barlow, Barrow, Kelsey and Sloan?
If the Principal Civil Medical Officer knew the above facts, did he communicate them or some and if so which of them to the Government?
3. Is the Principal Civil Medical Officer responsible for the fact that the Notes appended to the Estimates for 1916 fail to disclose the fact that, in addition to the reduction of 2 Sisters in the Staff, to be replaced by 6 Probationer Dressers (which is noted in footnote (6) on page 61 of those Estimates) there is also a reduction of a third Sister, as compared with the Estimates for 1915, such reduction occurring under the following sub-heading of the Estimates, namely, “ Kennedy Town Hospital” ?
Did the Principal Civil Medical Officer point out to the Government, and, if so, when, that the Estimates for 1916 provided for a reduction of 3 Sisters in the Government Nursing Staff, as compared with the Estimates for 1915?
4. Did the Principal Civil Medical Officer recommend to the Government that, for the year 1916, 6 Probationer Dressers should be employed at the Government Civil Hospital instead of 2 Sisters? If the answer to the above Question is in the negative, what Government Officer is responsible for the making of such suggestion?
5. Is it not the fact that on the 28th October last, the late Mr. E. A. Hewett, speaking in Council on behalf of the Unofficial Members, expressed their opposition to the substitution of 6 Probationer Dressers for 2 Nurses?
6. For what period of time are such Probationer Dressers engaged? Are they not constantly changing? Does not the Blue Book for 1915 (at pages J 134-6) contain the following Record with regard to Probationer Dressers, at the Government Civil Hospital, who were engaged to take the place of the said 2 Sisters, namely :-
Probationer Dressers.
Li King-po, appointed 1st July.
Chan Wang-shang, appointed 1st July, resigned 31st August. Wong Tak, appointed 1st September, resigned 15th October.
Chan Fuk-loi, appointed 16th October,
Chan Chuen, appointed 1st July, resigned 31st October.
Leung Ying appointed 1st November.
Chan Hoi-chuen, appointed 1st July, resigned same date.
Tsang Put-ting, appointed 6th July, resigned 15th December.
"Kwok Po-sum, appointed 16th December.
Li Shu-nam, appointed 1st July, resigned 30th September. Benjamin Young, appointed 1st October.
Chau Man-chung, appointed 1st July, resigned same date.
Cheuk Sui-bun, appointed 9th July?
7. With reference to that part of the statement made by the Government, in answer to my Question
3 (i) at the last Meeting of the Council, which reads as follows:-
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"The Staff was increased, and it is considered that the present establishment, when at full strength, is ample for purposes of granting customary leave of absence”, will the
Government state
(i) For how many months such increase of Staff was in force, and also
(ii) Whether it is not the fact that, on the date of the last Meeting of the Council, when the above Answer was given, out of the 14 Sisters on the Government Nursing Staff in the Estimates for 1916 (exclusive of the 2 Sisters on the Private Nursing Staff) there were 7 Sisters only in the Colony then available for duty, of whom 3 had then already completed 4 years of Service?
8. With reference to the following portion of the Answer given to my Question 2 at the last Meet-
ing of Council, namely :-
During the period January 1913 to June 1916 inclusive the Nursing Staff in the Colony has been below the number borne on the Estimates during 12 months. It has been equal to or in excess of that number during 30 months”, will the Government state
(i) When did the period or periods of time occur, making up the said 12 months during which the Government admits that the Nursing Staff in the Colony has been below the number borne on the Estimates? And will the Government state by how many during each of such periods such Nursing Staff has been below the number on the Estimates?