174
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL.
The New wing of this Hospital has at last been opened and the accommodation as far as the sick are concerned is now complete.
Quarters for the Medical Staff, the European, and Chinese Nursing Staffs are in course of con- struction as also the Laboratory and Mortuary but all these I hope will be completed before the spring of next year.
Dr. ATKINSON the New Superintendent has had a very hard time of it this year and many troubles to contend with, nevertheless, I cannot speak too highly of the energy and skill he has shewn in the performance of his duties and the esteem he has earned for his kindness and consideration to the patients in the Hospital. I am glad to think that his work will be lightened this year as a New Medical Officer has been sanctioned to assist him. Five French Sisters of Mercy will shortly arrive as nurses to the Hospital. One trained European Wardmaster, Mr. CHAPMAN, has arrived from England and given much satisfaction and another has been sanctioned and will be appointed shortly. I regret we shall lose the services of Mr. WATSON, the assistant Apothecary, who leaves the service to better himself. I only hope his successor will prove as capable and good an officer. We shall also lose the services of the Chinese Wardmaster, A Lok, who has been in the service nearly twenty years and whose good service I have had to mention on many occasions; he will retire on pension.
Mr. ROGERS, the Steward, has gone Home this year on a well earned leave.
An assistant Chinese clerk has at last been sanctioned and I hope to be able to report next year that the Hospital Subordinate Staff is in good working order.
As
Mr. CROW, the Government Analyst and Apothecary, returns to his duties after acting for eighteen months as Sanitary Superintendent in place of Mr. McCALLUM who went Home on sick leave. President of the Sanitary Board I have to mention that Mr. Crow performed his duties to the entire satisfaction of the Board, which were exceptionaly onerous as the Board had been reconstituted and there was a great increase of work in connection with the New Health Ordinance lately passed.
The admissions to Hospital this year shew an increase of over a hundred while the deaths shew a decrease of nine as compared with last year. This increase of admissions has been principally from the Police Force. Board of Trade and Police cases.
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There were 370 admissions for the various forms of malarial fever and 3 deaths among them. There were 21 admissions to Hospital of a choleraic type and 13 deaths. Dysentery cases 54 admissions and 5 deaths.
The following table shows the number and classification of those brought to Hospital for the last eight years:-
1882.
1883.
1884.
1885.
1886.
1887.
1888.
Police,
...549
599
486
495
602
619
657
Board of Trade,.....................
...116
110
60
100
132
103
153
Private paying Patients, ...268
260
259
283
381
324
313
Government Servants,
88
105
96
124
144
147
159
Police Cases,
207
227
231
238
142
208
242
Destitutes,
.230
201
222
270
222
255
248
1,458
1,502
1,354
1,510
1,623
1.656
1,772
Tables V A to G shew the character of the diseases admitted to Hospital. These tables have been re-arranged by the Superintendent and in a very much better form than those given in previous reports being more systematic and convenient for obtaining rapidly all necessary information. Table VI. gives the rate of mortality in the Hospital for the past ten years.
Table VII. gives the admissions of the various classes for each month of the year, May to September being the most sickly months.
The admissions and deaths in Hospital for the last ten years are as follows:-
Admissions.
1879,
1880,
1881.
1882.
1883,
1884,
1885,
1886,
1887,
1888,
Deaths.
1,071. ..1,055..
.55
14
.1.236..
.49
.1,458.
.68
1,502....
.70
1,354...
.50
.1,510.
..76
.1,623..
79
..1,656...
.89
1,772..
...80
The percentage of deaths 4.51 is not above the total average for the last ten years.