70 shall be wood as are surgical wards, while destitute persons for whom these new wards were originally intended will be accommodated in the two wards on the ground floor of the North Block. Quite recently there is at present surgical [ward], while the medical cases from the other will be taken to the other surgical ward on the first floor. One of the matters most seriously complained of in the evidence given before the recent commission, viz:- the use of wards for purposes of treatment, will thus be removed. The housing of the destitutes in them, usually only for a night or two, will not be objectionable as they are dark and shut in. Moreover, the Directors have further consented to improve the present ground floor surgical ward by breaking down the partition dividing it from certain private wards at the end of the building next to the gate.
The floor of the kitchen is very unsatisfactory. The Superintendents have promised to refloor it completely with concrete and to erect a small kitchen in the open space to the south of the dispensary for the infusion of medicines, thus leaving the whole of the present kitchen available for ordinary cooking purposes.
The upper floor of the Receiving Ward is being re-fitted to accommodate the staff of native doctors, and will provide them with ample roomy quarters, while the room off the central hall at present occupied by the four native doctors is to be placed at the disposal of Ho Chung.
Air bags have been provided to take the place of the filthy wicker baskets, which formerly stood in the wards to receive ... and plasters, and which could not be cleaned.
Since the beginning of the war...
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