Training.
512. On the radiodiagnostic side & probationer radiographic assistants, and on the physiotherapeutic side 5 probationer assistant physiotherapists, were being trained.
BLOOD TRANSFUSION
513. The blood bank is centralized on the Queen Mary Hospital and obtains blood from voluntary donors. During the year, 988 transfusions were given, every effort being made when a patient needed a transfusion to get a relative as a donor.
514. The department prepares its own receiving bottles for use and these have proved very satisfactory, allowing blood to be kept in refrigerators up to one month after being taken from a donor.
615. Plans are in hand for an extension of the service during the next year to Kowloon Hospital, and for the assistance of the British Red Cross Society (local branch) to help in the obtaining of donors and blood.
BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRATION
516. The legislation for the registration of births and deaths is provided by the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance which is under the control of the Director of Medical and Health Services who is the Registrar of the Births and Deaths. There is a central registry and a number of branch registries in different parts of the Colony and New Territories.
517. The volume of work done during the year has considerably increased in comparison with the preceding year, due mainly to the increase in applications for birth certificates. 46,616 birth certificates were issued in 1951 as against 17,934 in 1950.
518. Micro-filming of birth and death registers for all years prior to 1951 was completed during the year. A total of 619 birth registers and 621 death registers were micro-filmed and the films forwarded to the Colonial Office for safe custody.
STEWARD. (INCLUDING TRANSPORT AND
AMBULANCE SERVICES)
519. The provision situation relative to equipment has again become difficult. There has been some considerable delay in supply of certain items from the United Kingdom, particularly enamelware. Attempts have been made to interest the local enamelware industry in the supply of surgical enamelware but with little success. It has also been found that the quality of some of the local enamelware bears poor comparison with that obtained from Europe, Attempts were made to replace enamel- ware with stainless steelware in operating theatres, but the supply of these items was frustrated by certain regulations being promulgated in the United Kingdom forbidding the further use of this strategic material for the manufacture of such items. The principle of make and mend, so successfully adopted since the Liberation is still being applied with much saving of public money. Every possible piece of equipment which, on becoming unserviceable, can be cannibalized is so dealt with and the resultant pieces used for the manufacture of servicesble items. The maintenance staff has performed invaluable work in this connexion and has made a large number of items of equipment as well as repairing many hundreds of items of furniture and equipment. The fitter section of the maintenance staff has also assisted in the rehabilitation of the steam installation at the Queen Mary Hospital, most of which had of necessity to be done between midnight and dawn of many nights. This staff is a great asset to the Department and has saved a' considerable amount of public money.
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