271. The Streptomycin Committee continued to function during the year and controlled the use of all antibiotics, with the exception of penicillin, in Government institutions.
272. 287 wholesale dealers licences were issued and 197 listed sellers licences. These figures compare with 258 and 183 in 1949. 44 pharma- cists were registered as compared with 38 in the previous year. of 366 premises were inspected.
A total
278. In November the administration of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance was transferred from the Director of Commerce and Industry to the Director of Medical and Health Services.
274. In January 1951 speculation in antibiotics became very prevalent with the result that it became well nigh impossible for doctors and hos- pitals to obtain their requirements at reasonable prices. Emergency regulations were promptly introduced, and price control was established where necessary. These measures proved effective.
IX. MEDICO-SOCIAL ACTIVITIES.
275. In July Miss A. M. Ballantyne, Principal Almoner, became ill, and Miss Cheng Sui Chun once again acted as Principal Almoner, and was still in charge of the sub-department at the end of the financial year. A full report on the work of this sub-department will be found in Annexure M.
X. TRAINING OF PERSONNEL.
276. Training of personnel continued during 1950. The standard aimed at being that set in the United Kingdom.
277. Nurses registered in Hong Kong are accepted for registration in the United Kingdom on the recommendation of the Nurses Board and, by agreement with the Society of Radiographers, the training in radio- graphy is recognized and an examination for membership of the Society of Radiographers can be held in Hong Kong,
278. Negotiations with the Society of Laboratory Technologists for similar recognition of the training of laboratory assistant unfortunately failed.
279. Table 37 shows the technical groups who have received training during the year.
Probationer Masseuse
Probationer Radiographic
Assistant
Probationer Dispenser
TABLE 37.
mant
Appoint- Resigna-
tion
Strength
Passed
at 31.3.51
1
8
2
ANY
1
18
Probationer Laboratory Assistant
Probationer Assistant Almoner
Probationer Nurses
Probationer Midwives
Probationer Dressera
AASPERE++
41
32
#
nurses.
#
72
18
36
$
11
&
280. During the latter part of the period under review, investigations were made into the possibility of establishing a training school for health Considerable progress has been made in working out a syllabus and the means of providing the theoretical and practical training, and it is hoped that in the early part of the next financial year details will be sufficiently advanced for a start to be made with the first batch of nurses. The standard to be aimed at is the Certificate in Public Health Nursing given by the Royal Sanitary Institute. There is an examining body of the Royal Sanitary Institute in Hong Kong.
281. It is proposed to select the most promising nurses for this course, so that in years to come those members of the nursing staff holding the more responsible positions in the department will have a wider outlook than is possible with the present system of training.
XI. PATHOLOGICAL INSTITUTE.
282. The Pathological Institute, under the direction of the Govern- ment Pathologist, consists of a main building where a large amount of diagnostic work and the vaccine production is carried out. In addition to this there are two branches, one at the Kowloon Hospital which is responsible for most of the diagnostic work in Kowloon and one at Queen Mary Hospital which is mainly concerned with clinical pathology. In Annexure O will be found a detailed report of the work done during the year.
58
50