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Mr. WHITEHEAD—How are the medical schools financially maintained in India ?—The schools are constructed by the State and an annual grant is made by the Government. Hospitals are often built by wealthy natives, but are always handed over to Europeans assisted by native trained doctors to work, and at the present day education has gone on so much that we have as good surgeons amongst the native population as anyone could desire, surgeons who could operate even in cases of cataract and stone in the bladder. They are very good indeed.
Are they maintained entirely by the Government ?----The Government grant is a very large factor, but it does not prevent private individuals from founding bursaries, scholarships and exhibitions. Suppose you had a similar medical school in Hongkong, the Portuguese community, headed by the Catholic Bishop, might give a scholarship for the benefit of a Portuguese native. The English church might give a scholarship for the training of a Christian Chinese student, and other scholarships might be founded, although the Government might have the keeping of the fund. There is no reason why a professorship or a scholarship might not be maintained by a certain section of the community.
What proportion or percentage in the cost of maintenance does the Government grant amount to in India ?-At least eighty per cent. There is only a small fee asked from the students. Grants are made by philanthropic gentlemen of various nationalities, and when a distinguished official leaves India it is not unusual to honour him by the establishment of a scholarship in some of the medical schools.
Dr. Ho KAI-In Hongkong if you commence a medical school by charging any- thing like a fee you would drive away students and keep them from entering college? -I know nothing about your experience here. It seems to me that if you had such a school you would be able to get assistants for the Colonial Surgeon, who might act as assistant ou the Hygeia, and in similar posts.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-Are the professors paid in India ?—Yes. they are all Army medical officers lent to the Civil Government,
Without exception,
But you see we cannot without great difficulty do the same here ?-Well, the only imported article you want is a professor of anatomy and physiology. All the other classes might be taken by local men or Government officers. Anatomy and physiology being special in their character an efficient teacher from England is needed. This medical officer would act as secretary of the school.
Have you met here any of the Chinese trained in Western medical science ?-None, except Dr. Ho KAI, but we have at the present moment in Hongkong examples of the Indian training of these natives. In the Kowloon garrison we have 800 native soldiers and only one European doctor in the Hospital. However, we have an assistant surgeon, a Eurasian, with a quasi-diploma issued by the Calcutta Medical School, who cannot do major operations, but when the other surgeon is away, say at Stonecutter's or at mobili- sation he carries on the work of the hospital. He has a small salary and no commission. We have also two hospital assistants who have had three or four years' training in the College, and who are very useful. When the plague broke out, we sent a number of the men to Stonecutter's and I sent over one of these native assistants. He has had training similar to a three years' medical student, while the apothecary has had the same training as a four years' medical student, and the assistant surgeon has gone through the full curriculum. Men of the same standing of this assistant surgeon are pushing out the old native practitioners in India. In Hongkong, I think you ought to have the medical school distinct from the missionary institutions entirely non-sectarian.
Dr. Ho KAI-With a view to educate the Chinese to the benefits of Western medical science you think it is imperative to have a College ?-I think it is a most vital question. To me, as the Principal Medical Officer responsible for the health of the garrison, it is vital to know there is somebody teaching the Chinese the advantages of sanitation, &c.