China Mail of 21st December 1896.
THE TUNG WA HOSPITAL. APPOINTMENT OF A MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT.
A meeting of the Chinese interested in the Tung Wa Hospital was held yesterday to consider the question of the appointment of a Chinese trained in Western medical methods as Superintendent of the Institution. About sixty people were present, including several kaifong people. Mr Lo Tsz-chung presided.
The Chairman said in consequence of the non-attendance of kaifong people at their meeting the previous Sunday no settlement was arrived at in the matter of the appointment of a Chinese trained in Western medical science. In an interview which they had the other day with Mr Lockhart, he refused at first to allow the appointment to stand over for a week, but on representations being made that they could not accept the responsibility of the appointment without consulting the kaifong people, the question was allowed to stand over till that day. Mr Lockhart informed them the doctor's salary would be about $1,800 per annum, and stated it was rather hard to estimate the cost of Western medicine, but said the Government was quite willing to give pecuniary aid. In regard to the present arrangement as to the engagement of a Chinese doctor for a term of three months at a salary of twenty taels per month, Mr Lockhart asked why they did not engage doctors month by month, to which they replied that they considered the present the better method. Mr Lockhart had refused to issue a notice to the kaifong people not to complain of the directors in the question of the appointment. The question had to be settled that day, and gentlemen were invited to give their opinions.
Mr Lam Pai-lau, a former director, thought the Governor's idea to appoint a Chinese trained in Western medical science, a good one, and they must help His Excellency to effect the appointment. The Tung Wa Hospital could only hold about 160 in-patients, and at present there were over 100 in-patients. There were scarcely sufficient rooms for the Chinese doctors to reside in, and he therefore asked where they were to find room to lodge the Chinese trained in Western medical science. He suggested that they petition the Governor to give them a site in the immediate neighbourhood of the Tung Wa on which they could erect another building. The cost of its erection would be defrayed by the kaifong people, so that they could have sufficient room to house the patients and the doctor trained in Western medical science. They must ask the Government to stand the cost of Western medicine.
Mr Fung Wa-chuen said he went one day to see Mr Lockhart and asked him, 'Is it the intention of His Excellency to severely punish those who say anything against the appointment?' Mr Lockhart said His Excellency did not mean that, but that His Excellency's idea was that if anyone was found to stir up trouble he was to be severely dealt with. If any gentleman wished to say anything, he had better say it now. Some time ago a commission was appointed by the Governor to investigate the conditions of the Hospital, for some European doctors said that the Tung Wa Hospital was in a bad condition and that it should be abolished. The commissioners said that the hospital did much good and that it should not be abolished. Messrs Wai A-yuk and Lo Tsz-tiu said it would be a good thing to appoint a doctor trained in Western medical science to reside in the Hospital, but it must be left to the choice of the patients whether they would be attended by a Chinese doctor or a doctor trained in Western medical science. His Excellency had power to abolish the Hospital, but His Excellency would do no such thing unless something very serious occurred. The Government was willing to give them pecuniary aid. If Hongkong was unfortunately again visited by plague, Dr Chang, if he was appointed, would be of great use to them and they would be saved the trouble of being questioned by European doctors. As Mr Lam Pai-lau said, the Hospital had not sufficient room to house the new doctor and the patients. He thought the Government would give them a site on which to erect another building. If they had to apply to the Governor for aid they should first ask for pecuniary aid and secondly for power over the new doctor. If there was no room to house the doctor, they had better appoint him subject to further arrangements, but they could not say that as there was not sufficient room they would defer the question for two or three years.
Mr Leung Pui-Tsz agreed with the former speaker, and said if they had a doctor trained in Western medical science, they could ask his advice at any time, even at night, when it was rather hard to get a doctor.
After a few more remarks from the gentlemen present, the Chairman requested those who objected to the amendment to hold up their hands. No objections were signified, and the appointment of Dr Chung was therefore confirmed.
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