[ x ]
1.64.
Evidence abolished. "It would," he states, "mean a more rapid mortality among the Chinese; and we would have much more trouble in verifying cases of infectious disease. Plague cases, fever and other cases of infectious disease would not be brought to the Tung Wa Hospital as at present; the people would die in their own houses, and although we would find plague corpses, we would find very few cases." And again he states:- Evidence the Hospital is a benefit so long as we can supervise the people who come in; many cases of plague, typhoid fever and small-pox have been verified there, and removed and segregated for proper treatment."
p. 61.
Evidence P. 23.
Evidence p. 23.
Mr. MCCALLUM, when asked what he thought would be the result of the abolition of the Tung Wa Hospital, stated that "probably you would have dead-houses re-established," such as the "I Ts'z", to which reference has been made at the beginning of this report, "and that, in a great many instances patients would prefer to die in their houses rather "than go to the Civil Hospital."
28. But though we are in favour of the retention of Tung Wa Hospital we think that certain improvements might be effected as regards its staff, structural arrangements, and sanitary maintenance.
29. With respect to its staff, we are of opinion that a Chinese trained in Western medical science should be appointed by the Government to reside at the Hospital chiefly for the purpose of furnishing correct returns of deaths occurring there. It is absolutely necessary in the interests of the health of the public that the Government should be fur- nished with mortality statistics which can be accepted as accurate. We are of opinion that such statistics cannot be supplied by the Chinese doctors of the Hospital, and we therefore consider that a properly qualified Chinese should be appointed and paid by the Government in order that it may be supplied with reliable mortality returns. In addi- tion to being responsible for these returns this officer should also assist the Colonial Surgeon, as Mr. U I-KAI now does, when he inspects the patients in the receiving ward, which ward should, in our opinion, be retained, and should aid the Justices of the Peace when they pay their visits of inspection. Complaints have been made of the absence of any one on the staff of the Hospital acquainted with English who is able to interpret. The appointment of such an officer as we propose will supply the want of proper interpreta- tion. In recommending this appointment we desire it to be clearly understood that the officer appointed is not to interfere in any way with the treatment of the patients unless requested by the patients or native doctors to give the benefit of his advice and assistance. If this is clearly understood and if the appointment be made by the Government, we are Evidence of opinion, judging from the evidence of Mr. KU FAI-SHAN, Mr. WEI YUK, Mr. Ho AMEI 33, 34, 3 and Mr. Lo CHI-TIN, that there will be no objection to the appointment on the part of
the subscribers to the Hospital.
p. 27, 8,
and 49.
30. In addition to the appointment of a Chinese trained in Western medical science, whose salary should in our opinion, as we have stated, be defrayed by Government, see- ing that it is entirely in the interests of the health of the public that we regard the creation of such an office as necessary, we recommend that a Chinese of good standing be appointed Steward of the Hospital who, acting under the orders of the Hospital Committee and in co-operation with the Sanitary Board, should be held responsible for the sanitary mainten- ance of the Hospital buildings and drainage, for the cleanliness of the patients, their bedding and clothing, for the proper carrying out of the conservancy system, for the proper ventilation of the wards and for the other details which a Stewand of a hospital has usually to supervise. This officer should be placed at the head of the working staff of the Hospital (not, of course, including the native doctors), and it should be part of his functions to see that the other mernbers of the staff, whose duties should be clearly defined, and whose pay should be such as to attract reliable men, perform the work assigned to them regularly and efficiently. We consider that a salary high enough to secure the services of a suitable person should be paid, and that it would be preferable, if possible,