6. A new public dispensary for the Kowloon City district was completed at the end of March 1952. Funds to construct this dispensary were provided by the local Kaifong and the Hong Kong Government, and on completion the building was handed over to this department which is now responsible for running it.
7.
For the convenience of residents of the New Territories two new birth registration offices have been opened; one in the Taipo Dispensary and the other in the Un Long Dispensary.
8. Provision has now been made for a leper colony on Hay Ling Chau formerly known as Nun Island which will replace the temporary leprosarium at Sandy Bay. Work is going ahead on the construction of buildings on the island for patients and staff. This leper colony is operated by the Hong Kong Auxiliary of the Mission to Lepers.
9. Dr. E. D. Pridie, Chief Medical Officer of the Colonial Office, visited the Colony in June. He visited all sections of the Department and expressed himself as well satisfied with the work being done. Dr. B. Chisholm, Director General of the World Health Organization, also visited the Colony and gave the department the benefit of his advice.
10. A certain amount of assistance was received from U.N.I.C.E.F. during the year. This took the form of the provision of equipment and a feeding programme. The most important item of equipment received was a complete mobile mass X-ray unit boused in two specially built vans. This unit has been of great assistance to the department but unfortunately the shortage of staff in the X-ray department prevented its full utilization.
11. By the end of the period under review arrangements had been completed with U.N.I.C.E.F. and W.H.O. for the provision of assistance in immunizing the juvenile population
of the Colony against tuberculosis by the use of B.C.G. vaccine. U.N.1.C.E.F. and W.H.O. will assist the Colony by the provision of the necessary vaccine and equipment and the loan of an international team to instruct and train members of this de- partment in the use of the vaccine.
12. U.N.I.C.E.F. also provided a quantity of diphtheria toxoid for use in the immunization campaign initiated by this department.
Staf.
13. On 6.7.61 Dr. 1. Newton, F.R.C.S. (Edin.), M.R.C.S. (Eng.), L.R.C.P. (Lond.), left the Colony on leave prior to re- tirement and was replaced by Dr. K. C. Yeo, M.D., B.S. (H.K.), D.T.M. & II. (Eng.), D.P.H. (Camb.), who acted as Director of Medical & Health Services until 27.1.52 on which date he was promoted to the substantive post of Director of Medical & Health Services.
14. During the year under review recruiting of qualified staff continued to be a problem. Due to the lack of recruits with registrable qualifications the department had to continue to rely to a considerable extent on non-registrable doctors resid- ing in the Colony. Out of a total establishment of 141 Medical Officers and Assistant Medical Officers, 98 posts were filled with persons having qualifications which cannot be registered in Hong Kong.
15. In the case of expatriate nursing staff it has proved impossible to fill the existing vacancies for Sister Tutors due to the shortage of this type of officer; vacancies for Nursing Sisters are filled only after considerable delay so that it has been necessary to employ temporary married staff who are recruited locally, a not very satisfactory solution to the problem. Thirteen locally trained and fully qualified nurses resigned during the year; there is a steady loss of qualified nurses, in the most part due to the attractions of private nursing.
3