55%.
Since Mrs. Hickling's time, three Lady Visiting Medical Officers have rendered splendid service here: Dr. Iliff and the late Mrs. McElney, each for about one year, and in particular Mrs. Dovey, who has given us the most devoted, able and thorough service for a period in all of over four years.
In 1925 the gynaecology wards and theatre were opened, and since then over 1,400 women have been treated as in-patients. The first out-patient clinic started was the Infant Welfare Clinic opened in 1923 under Mrs. Hickling for the benefit of babies and children. The gynaecological out-patient clinic was started in 1925 and the V.D. clinic in 1926. The Tsan Yuk Hospital has the distinction of having started in 1928 the first ante-natal clinic in Hongkong. The training school for midwives was started in 1923 by Mrs. Hickling and since the opening of this school, over 40 midwives have been trained here and passed the Midwives Board examination. Some of them are in the Government Service and some are working for the St. John's Ambulance Brigade in the New Territories. Others are on the staff of this Hospital as Sister Midwives and many are in private practice.
DEBT TO DR. TSO
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have given you this sketch of the Hospital work and workers in order to lead up to the main object of my remarks. Dr. Tso has been Chairman of the Western Chinese Public Dispensary and of this Hospital Committee from the beginning, and Mr. Li Po-kwai has been associated with him as Vice-Chairman, during the same period. But Dr. Tso has been far, far more than just an ordinary Chairman of Committee. I cannot adequately express the debt that this Hospital owes to Dr. Tso's intensely keen personal interest in the welfare of the Hospital and in the welfare of all its staff. I can testify to this from my own knowledge as Chairman of the Chinese Public Dispensaries General Committee, of which organization this Hospital has always been a part.
From January 1 next year the Hospital is being handed over to the Government and therefore this function to-day partakes of the nature of a farewell.
It is most fitting that the portrait of Dr. Tso should take its place upon the walls of this Hospital beside that of Mrs. Hickling, and Dr. Wellington, as Director of Medical and Sanitary Services, under whom this Hospital will in future be, has shown his keen sympathy and interest not only by giving his permission for the portrait, which I am about to unveil, to remain hereafter upon these walls but also by coming here to-day to be present at this pleasant function and, I hope to honour us with a few words of his own.
Ladies and gentlemen, I now have much pleasure in unveiling the photograph of the Hon. Dr. S. W. Tso.
This ceremony was performed amid hearty applause.
HISTORY OF MOVEMENT
On being called upon to speak, Dr. Wellington said:
Ladies and gentlemen: The Chinese Public Dispensary movement had its birth in 1905 when certain centres were established to assist the poor to understand and carry out the
Page 290
Page 291