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RES I FER 97
China Mail of 3rd Decr. 1896.
THE TUNG WA HOSPITAL.
THE GOVERNOR AND THE NEW DIRECTORS.
This morning, His Excellency the Governor met the newly-elected Directors of the Tung Wa Hospital in the Council Chamber. The Colonial Secretary and the Hon. Dr Ho Kai were also present.
The Colonial Secretary introduced the new Directors, who are as follows: Messrs. Lo Tez-tsung, (of Messrs Arn-hold, Karberg & Co.), Liu Tsz-shan, (of the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Co.), Yung Chiu-po, (of Mr J. D. Hutchison's firm), Wong Shap-shan, (of the Wo Ki Nam Pak Hong), Li Sui-shek, (of the Kwong Mi Un Californian Hong), Chan Hiu-bung, (of the Him Un Opium firm), Leung Luk-kai, (of the Chi Tsung Pawnbroker), Kwok Iu-Un, (of Austrian Lloyds Steam Navigation Co.), Wong Sing-tung, (of the Fuk Lun U Kau Pat Hong), Lau Tak-fun, (of the Shia Lun Piece Goods shop), Tai Yat-hing, (of the Kin Fat Rice shop), Fan Pat-shan, (of the Sun Hing Cotton Yarn firm).
His Excellency said: Gentlemen, - I am very pleased to meet you to-day and I congratulate the members of the Tung Wa Hospital Corporation on the selection of the Committee elected to administer the affairs of the Hospital during the next year. I am especially glad to observe that the three members of the Committee, who are entrusted with the management of its financial affairs and upon whom the chief share of the executive work falls, are gentlemen who have been long connected with Hong Kong and who possess a knowledge of English. I trust that this is a sign that the Corporation, as represented by its Committee, is prepared to take steps to improve the present condition of the hospital. That such improvement is necessary I am fully convinced. You are aware that some time ago I appointed a Commission to enquire into the hospital. That Commission has sent in its reports, which will be published. All the members of the Commission are unanimous in praising the good work done by the hospital in the past,
but they all consider that in the interests of the sick and destitute who make use of the hospital, and with a view to their comfort, improvements should be effected. In the views of the members of the Commission I entirely concur, and I now wish to inform you that it is my intention, without undue delay, to give you every assistance to place the hospital above criticism so far as its sanitary maintenance and the cleanliness of the patients who make use of it are concerned. To effect this desirable object I am about to appoint a Steward whose sole time and attention
are to be devoted to maintaining the hospital and its inmates in a sanitary and cleanly condition. You, gentlemen, are merchants whose time is much engrossed by your own affairs, and though you, out of the goodness of your hearts, are willing to sacrifice both time and money whilst managing the affairs of the hospital, it is not reasonable to expect that you can attend to all the minute though important details which are involved in the management of an institution such as the Tung Wa. I feel sure, therefore, that the appointment of a Steward which I propose to make will be welcomed by you not only on account of the improvement in the cleanliness of the hospital and the patients which it will effect, but also because it will relieve you from being directly responsible for details which you cannot possibly find time to attend to. When this Steward has been appointed I am confident that complaints as to unclean hospital clothing and bedding and unwashed and unshaved patients will cease. You must be as desirous as I am that the hospital should be maintained in a thoroughly sanitary condition and that due provision should be made for the cleanliness and comfort of the patients. I can therefore rely upon your doing everything to help the newly appointed Steward to carry out his duties in such a manner as will bring credit to the Institution, the reputation of which should be jealously guarded by you.
Having touched on the sanitary maintenance of the hospital and the cleanliness of the patients I now come to a more delicate subject, viz., the treatment accorded to the patients who are admitted to the hospital. I am aware that hitherto all patients admitted to the hospital have been treated according to methods in which the Chinese believe. Now I do not propose on the present occasion to criticise those methods, but I wish it to be clearly understood that it is not my intention to interfere with them. But while treatment according to Chinese views is not to be abolished, I consider that patients in the Tung Wa Hospital should be given an opportunity of exercising an option and should be allowed to see doctors versed in methods which are not Chinese, and if they desire to be treated by such doctors every facility of being so treated should be afforded to them. Many of you, gentlemen, are no doubt believers in Chinese treatment, but there are also among you some who have availed themselves of treatment by European doctors. Why should patients in the Tung Wa hospital not have an opportunity of doing the same thing? As Governor of a British Colony I think it is my duty to afford them the opportunity, which should not be confined to the rich
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