(13)
THE PRESIDENT-If such a medical officer was appointed, do you intend that he should treat patients entirely according to European methods, and that there should be no treatment in the hospital according to Chinese methods?-That is so.
That being so, you would abolish the Tung Wa Hospital?—Yes; and establish a pauper hospital under the Civil Medical Department in its place.
Your recommendation is that a European medical officer be placed in charge, and that the Tung Wa Hospital be changed from a Chinese into a European hospital?—Yes. Mr. THOMSON-Can you give us any idea as to the cost of running such an hospital on these lines ?—I cannot give you any idea of the cost at the present moment. I know a similar hospital exists in the Straits Settlements; it is called the Tung Tok Sing. The Colonial Secretary has particulars with regard to it.
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THE PRESIDENT-I have the particulars, which will be circulated amongst the see Appen- members of the Commission. The next point in the correspondence refers to the page Liv. discharge of patients from the Tung Wa Hospital.
What were your reasons for making your recommendations regarding the discharge of patients ?-Because I thought patients were being discharged suffering from infectious diseases and other complaints, and that they were not in a fit state to leave the Hospital.
To what infectious diseases do you refer ?—I referred to some cases of typhoid fever especially.
Have you ever suspected that other cases of infectious disease have been discharged before being in a fit condition for discharge ?—I know of two cases of typhoid which have come under my own experience since April last, and there have also been cases of puerperal fever.
Are cases of small-pox taken to the Tung Wa Hospital?-No; no cases of small-pox are admitted now. They were admitted up till April last, but that was stopped, and they are now sent to the Infectious Hospitals attached to the Medical Department.
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- page LV.
Are there any infectious diseases taken to the Tung Wa Hospital which you see Appen- recommend should not be admitted there? Have you drawn up a list of such diseases ?- I think I have written to the Government on that point.
WITNESS-I think it is preferable to have these diseases treated elsewhere, because I cannot tell whether they are fit to be discharged when they are sent out unless I see them. I think there are objections to infectious diseases being treated in the Tung Wa Hospital under the present management. I mean by that that I do not think the present management is sufficiently careful in dealing with the stools of typhoid patients, for instance, as we in the Government Civil Hospital.
A rule was made that you were to see all cases before they were discharged from the Tung Wa Hospital. Has that rule been observed?—I received an order from the previous Committee that all patients should be seen by me before they were dis- charged. I saw them up to a certain date in November or December last, but since then they have been allowed to leave without my having seen them. The new Com- mittee did not observe this regulation, and patients are now discharged without my knowing whether they are in a fit state to be discharged or not.
Dr. Ho KAI-Can you mention some of those cases discharged before being fully recovered?
I am talking of cases not fully recovered ?--These two cases of typhoid were sent out before they had recovered. These are the only two cases that came under my
notice.