volume of work had increased to such an extent that from that date a full time officer was appointed. The total number of attendances at the clinic was 17,900 as compared with 12,834 in 1952.
Marine Department Clinic.
249. This clinic is accommodated in the Marine Department Building in part of premises occupied by the Port Health staff, It is conducted by members of that staff and is solely for the convenience of the Marine Department. Attendances numbered 1,165.
Kowloon-Canton Railway Clinic.
250. A new clinic to meet the needs of Railway staff was established in the Kowloon Terminus Station in December, 1953. It was opened for 2 afternoons each week, the medical officer and a part of the staff from the Hunghom Public Dis- pensary carrying out the work. Up to the end of 1953 the clinic had been in operation for only 3 weeks and attendances numbered 96,
New Terriorities.
251. Including the out-patient department of St. John Hospital, Cheung Chau, to which reference has been made earlier in this report, there are eleven establishments in the New Territories providing out-patient treatment facilities. Excluding Cheung Chau, three of these have resident doctors and there are facilities for the treatment of general in-patients and maternity cases as well. At the remaining dispensaries there is a small number of maternity beds under the charge of resident midwives.
252. In addition, from the two main centres at Tai Po and Un Long, two mobile dispensaries provide services in the rural areas on the eastern and western parts of the Mainland respectively. Medical services to the Islands are, in general, limited in scope and are provided by infrequent visits of medical staff. However, with the posting of the second doctor to the
BO
St. John Hospital, Cheung Chau, more extensive and regular weekly visits were paid by medical officers to the island of Ping Chau and to villages on Lamma, Ma Wan and southern Lantao, other islands in the vicinity.
253. The dispensaries in the New Territories are in fact embryonic health centres as not only are curative services provided but, in many cases, infant welfare and ante-natal sessions are conducted and special clinics, namely, ophthalmic, tuberculosis and dental, are held by visiting staff from the city.
VI. AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE
254. The Auxiliary Medical Service was established in 1950 by regulations under the Essential Services Corps Ordinance. It is a unit within the Essential Services Corps and its unit controller is the Director of Medical and Health Services. The purpose of the Service is to supplement in times of emergency the facilities of the Medical Department.
266. In the case of a major emergency it is considered that the Colony's medical resources in hospitals and personnel will be insufficient to deal with the number of casualties expected and so the organization of the Auxiliary Medical Service hus the following objectives:-
(a) To provide a large body of trained men to be responsible for casualty collection, first aid and ambulance services.
(b) To expand hospital facilities by the provision of additional beds in existing hospitals and by the establishment of new hospitals to be brought into use if required.
(c) To train recruits to supplement existing full time staff in manning existing and emergency hospitals, (d) To procure and store the equipment necessary for
attaining the foregoing objectives.
87