(p) Public Dispensaries,
247. There are 8 public dispensaries where treatment was provided free until 18th September, when a charge of $1 was made for visits to the doctors, as in the polyclinics. This resulted in a considerable drop in attendances, but it was the opinion of the doctors in these dispensaries, as in the polyclinics, that the drop consisted principally of trivial cases,
248. Authority was given to all out-patient doctors to treat a case free if they were satisfied that attention was urgently required and the patient could not afford to pay $1. Other cases, unable to pay and not in need of urgent attention, were referred to one or other of the various free out-patient clinics run by the Tung Wah Hospitals, Kai Fong Associations and other benevolent societies.
249. The fact that there was no appreciable increase in the attend- ances at these free clinics following the introduction of the charge of $1 in the Government clinics suggests that no real hardship was produced by this charge. A total of 33 free cases were treated in these 8 dispen- saries between 18th September and the end of the year.
250. At all public dispensaries the morning session was devoted to children and the afternoon session to adults, and these clinics formed a base for anti-epidemic work in the area.
251. Midwives are attached to all of these dispensaries, and in one case there are a few beds, so that in-patient maternity work, as well as domiciliary work, can be carried out.
252. Table 30 summarizes the work done at these public dispensaries.
TABLE 30.
Attendances at Chinese Public Dispensaries.
(9) New Territories Medical Centres and Maternity Homes.
263. There are 9 public dispensaries and maternity centres in the New Territories with 2 mobile units, one working on the west and one on the east side of the mainland. The work of these dispensaries, three of which have a resident medical officer, is co-ordinated under a medical officer of health of the New Territories, who works in close liaison with the District Commissioner of the New Territories.
254. Both in-patient and domiciliary midwifery is carried on at seven
of these centres.
255. Table 31 gives a summary of the work done by these medical
centres.
Tai Po
Dispensaries
TABLE 31.
Medical Centres--New Territories.
Out-patients
Deliveries
New cases
Attend- Bricka
In- patients
Domici- Bary
18.705
34.497
644
11
Ho Tong
2.359
6,908
176
97
Shataukok
1,894
4,698
110
18
Out Patients
Deliveries
Un Long
16,171
38,830
746
09
Sun Hui
1.188
3.195
66
192
Public Dispensaries
Children
Adults
New Attend- New Attend- Cases ances Cases BDCOS
In pati-
edta
Vacci- Domici- nations' lationa
liary
Innen-
Sai Kung
2.892
5.169
21
29
Tai O
11.509
20.171
329
15
Central
Eastern
Aberdeen
Hung Hom.t
13,062
18,074 26.737 10.313 22,365 12,447 18.435 9.887 21,688 $.050 7,978 5,749 12,259 14,938 11,114 17,051
Silver Mine Bay
1.408
2,664
7,289
582
13,683
1,259
Ping Chau
J
281
3.387
76
as++PRO+P+*..........................................
1,656
2,389
wwww
0.145 2,043
Shaukiwan
21.053
Yaumati
Shamshuipo
Stanley
Total
745 1,388
--
121.997 176,026
36,069 13,662 25,681 30.785 32,031 20.092 32,860 22.761 41.447 18.414 38.687
5,096 186
176.667 185
Travelling (East)
3,628
6,626
607
6,072
B73
248
9.652
1,706
Travelling (West)
3.088
4,800
5:09
16,847
2,110
783
90,000
10
1.351 1,215
1,658
64.327
9,764
Total
84.646
128.939
2,150
420
52
53
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