of the Medical Registration Ordinance 1957, which would have pro- hibited them from practising, should be deferred. At the same time it was agreed that arrangements should be made to give unregistered doctors an opportunity to sit an examination leading to a qualification registrable in the Colony.
15. Negotiations with the Society of Apothecaries in London, started in 1957, led to arrangements being made to hold a qualifying examina- tion in the Colony at the end of 1958 for the Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery of the Society of Apothecaries. Under the special regulations for this examination, however, only graduates from certain medical schools could be accepted for entry and eventually 153 candidates were accepted out of a total of 563 known unregistered doctors.
16. Evening classes in English were arranged by the Education Department for those unregistered doctors whose spoken and written English was poor and who wished to take a qualifying examination. Later, the University of Hong Kong held a refresher course, starting in June, for those who had been accepted for the L.M.S.S.A. examinations.
17. Of the 153 candidates who had entered for the L.M.S.S.A. examinations 119 eventually sat the examinations: 87 passed in one or more subjects of whom 43 passed in all subjects.
18. The Society of Apothecaries has agreed to hold further qualifying examinations towards the end of 1959 and again in 1960 if sufficient candidates come forward.
19. There is thus a residue of some 410 unregistered doctors who either did not enter for the L.M.S.S.A, or who are not eligible to do so. A number of these unregistered doctors are still working in free or charity clinics. The extent and quality of the service they provide cannot be assessed as there is no system of registration. Therefore, in December 1958, Government announced proposals to introduce legislation to register all clinics, excluding those being maintained as consulting rooms by doctors in private practice and the outpatient departments of certain of the larger hospitals. At the same time it is proposed to introduce legislation setting up a Licensing Board whose responsibilities will include the maintenance of a Roll of Licensed Medical Practitioners, the holding of examinations for admission to the Roll and the issue of licences to practise in institutions approved for this purpose by the Board. The Roll once completed will be closed and thereafter will diminish gradually over the years. Licensed Medical Practitioners will not be permitted to engage in private practice and will be licensed to
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work only in approved clinics or other institutions under conditions to be stipulated by the Licensing Board. In this way competence to practise in clinics will be determined, such practice will be controlled and the standard of service to the lower income groups improved.
20. The two Medical Associations in the Colony, while welcoming the proposals for the registration of clinics, have expressed strong opposition to the principle of establishing a Roll of Licensed Medical Practitioners. Meantime, legislation is being drafted and further consul- tations will take place with the Associations and other representative bodies in the community who are concerned with the provision of medical services to those who depend on public or other clinics offering these services at nominal or low cost.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
21. Statutory responsibility for the administration of the services safeguarding the public health in Hong Kong lics jointly with the Director of Medical and Health Services, the Urban Council, the District Commissioner New Territories and the Commissioner of Labour. Executive functions in connexion with curative medical services and a number of aspects of preventive medicine throughout the Colony are the responsibility of the Medical and Health Department. The Urban Council is concerned with environmental sanitation in the urban areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon through the Urban Services Department. The District Commissioner has executive functions as the Health Authority for the New Territories and administers its environmental sacitary services. Health Officers are seconded in an advisory capacity to the Urban Services Department and the District Administration, New Territories. The Labour Department has an Industrial Health section also staffed by officers of the Medical and Health Department.
STAFF
22. The Director of Medical and Health Services is the Head of the Department, the chief adviser to Government on medical and health policy, and an official member of the Legislative Council. He is a member of a number of the Boards and Committees of voluntary organizations engaged in medical and health work whose activities receive substantial support by way of Government subventions. He is also the Chairman of the Radiation Board and of the Statutory Boards dealing with the registration and disciplinary control of Medical Practi- Lioners, Dentists, Pharmacists, Nurses and Midwives.
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