( 53 )
I mean the appointment of a Chinese trained in Western medical science, whose chief duty should be the registering of deaths, and who should render assistance in the treatment of patients if desired by the Directors or any of the patients, but not other- wise. What is your opinion as to such an appointment?-I think it would be very useful, provided you got a good man.
Do you think the appointment of such a Chinese, in addition to daily inspections by a member of the Medical Establishment of the Government, would effect the desired improvements in the management, which you say are necessary?-No.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-What knowledge have you of these Chinese who have been trained in Western medicine?-I have been lecturing to them for three or four months. I know one or two of them who are already qualified-U I-KAI at the Government Civil Hospital, and Drs. KwONG and CHUEN,
You are speaking from your knowledge of these men trained in Western medicine when you say the appointment of one of them to the Tung Wa Hospital would not be satisfactory.
THE PRESIDENT-He considered he would be useful for obtaining correct returns of the causes of death, but he does not think he would be sufficient to effect the impro- vements in the management of the Hospital, which he considers desirable.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-That is what I am coming to. For the purposes of returns, true records of the causes of death, such a Chinaman would be sufficient ?—Yes, I believe so, presuming, as the Colonial Secretary says, that the Colonial Surgeon would visit the Hospital once a day in addition, but I do not think such an officer would either have the patience or take the trouble to look after the petty details of sanitary management in the Hospital required to keep it in a proper condition.
THE PRESIDENT-Then what would you suggest ?-From what I have seen of the Hospital, I think the appointment of a European steward, some man of perhaps a little better class than the Sanitary Inspectors, should be appointed. His duty would be to see that the wards were properly ventilated, that the drainage or conservancy system was carefully carried out; to see that the Ko Fong wards were not occupied, and that the servants did not live in the basements, and the other petty details that a steward of an hospital at home is supposed to look after. It is a big Hospital, and at the same time it wants somebody all day long to look after it. I do not mean that he is never to go outside, but to be, generally speaking, constantly on the spot and going around to see that things are kept in a proper state.
From the condition of the water channels, I should say that the coolies are in the habit of throwing urine down there, which is a thing that ought not to be allowed. There is no provision on the upper floors for slop-sinks. If a ward is scrubbed down the water is thrown out into the verandah and finds its way ultimately into the rain-water channel.
!
In addition to a European steward is there any other recommendation by the adoption of which you think the management might be improved ?---None, except with regard to the surgical ward. It seems to me ridiculous that it should be put on the ground floor and shut off from the out-patients merely by a wooden partition. I would recommend that this ward should be put upstairs where the patients could get more light and air and not be brought into contact with the out-patients. There is no one apparently at the Hospital at the present time who is responsible for things of that sort.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-Have you on any occasion witnessed the treatment of patients in the surgical ward by the Chinese doctors?—I have never seen an instance of a case under treatment; I have seen instances of want of treatment--abcesses left reglected- and the patients had to be brought into the Civil Hospital or died in the Tung Wa Hospital. The Chinese ideas of surgery are not so modern as they ought to be. I might say I have seen no surgical treatment on the part of the Chinese.