330. Aate-natal, post-natal and baby clinics are held throughout the year; in addition there are specialist clinics for medical discases com- plicating pregnancy, a social hygiene clinic for venereal diseases and a Family Planning Clinic, all three of which are held either once or twice weekly.
331. In the hospital laboratory 25,363 routine examinations were carried out, of which 10,425 were for blood grouping. In addition there is a research laboratory, staffed by the University, which is carrying out investigations into the fibrinogen level in accidental haemorrhage, into the blood chemistry of toxaemia and into anaemia complicating pregnancy.
332. The radiodiagnostic section undertook 13,901 X-ray examina- tions, of which 11,662 were chest X-rays and 1,530 for pelvimetry,
333. Seventy one medical students in groups of seven or eight underwent live weeks training in obstetrics; twenty eight new student midwives entered the course of training during the year and forty three student midwives from the hospital passed the Midwives Board's Examinations,
334. Owing to the limited number of beds, uncomplicated multi- gravida deliveries remained in hospital for only three to four days and primigravida, with normal deliveries, for seven days.
Mental Hospital
335. A new Mental Hospital is being constructed near Castle Peak in the New Territories. So far two wards with common rooms and ancillary annexes have been complated, providing accommodation for sixty men and sixty women. The next phase of construction, due to be completed in early 1960, will give accommodation for 500 mental patients; thereafter it is proposed to extend further to a total of 1,000 beds.
336. In the meantime the Mental Hospital in Hong Kong is housed in two very old and unsuitable buildings situated in a densely populated part of the City. It was originally designed to accommodate 140 patients, but the daily average population in the old Mental Hospital during the year was male 159-23 and female 138-48.
337. The Mental Hospital service, which is under the direction of the Psychiatric Specialist, has a staff of two Medical Officers holding specialist qualifications in Psychiatry and one Woman Medical Officer. Despite the unfavourable conditions, unavoidable in overcrowded wards
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in old buildings, the most modern treatment is available within the Hospital. In addition, out-patient sessions are held regularly and have proved to be not only popular, but also successful in limiting the number of admissions to the wards. Admissions during the year totalled 1,002 and there were 300 readmissions. 847 patients were discharged and there were thirty six deaths.
Infectious Diseases Hospitals
338. Mention has been made earlier of the infectious diseases portion of the Lai Chi Kok Hospital in Kowloon. On Hong Kong Island there is the Sai Ying Pun Hospital, which is one of the remaining parts of the old Government Civil Hospital and has a nominal bed strength of cighty eight beds. Although the number of patients treated in Hospital is considerably in excess of this number, the standard of work done is very high. The Medical Officer in charge is a part time lecturer of the University and gives clinical instruction in the Hospital to medical students on the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases,
339. The most common diseases under treatment during the year were diphtheria, typhoid fever, bacillary dysentry and measles. The total admissions amounted to 1,560 and there were 133 deaths.
340. Associated with this Hospital is the Sai Ying Pun Out-patient Clinic which caters for general out-patient needs for this section of the city. Under the direction of the Medical Officer in charge of the Hospital, this Clinic is one of the three busiest institutions in the Colony. It serves as the out-patient teaching centre for medical students who attend specialist sessions conducted by the heads of the University Clinical Units. During the year the total attendances amounted to 236,576.
341. The premises occupied by this very busy Clinic are old, cramped and generally unsuitable. However, the present Clinic is to be demolished (starting in September 1958) and on the site there will be erected a 9-storey building. This building will provide, in addition to the general and specialized out-patient services, a Chest Clinic. The top two floors of the building will become the new Pathological Institute, the present Institute being situated in an old building now far too small for the amount of work that has to be undertaken.
St. John Hospital
342. This Hospital on Cheung Chau Island is the property of the St. John Ambulance Association but it is now staffed and maintained by Government. It serves not only the island population of 30,000
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