No. 236
Hongkong
Sir,
C.O.
27436
7 JUL 02
275
Government House,
Hongkong, 3rd June, 1902.
I have the honour to inform you that in October last it was recommended to the Government by the Principal Civil Medical Officer that the Female Venereal Ward of the Government Civil Hospital should be abolished, on the ground that since the instructions contained in your Despatch No. 52 of the 17th April, 1894, had come into force, only those who voluntarily came into the Hospital were treated for venereal diseases. The number of such patients has constantly tended to decrease, and Dr. Atkinson reports in the letter of which I attach a copy, that up to October last year there were only eight female venereal patients admitted to the Hospital during that year. In these circumstances, I decided that it was no longer necessary to keep up an establishment costing nearly $2,000 a year, which was productive of so little benefit, and I therefore approved of the abolition of the post of Matron and some minor appointments, and the substitution of a much smaller and less expensive Staff of Nurses and others to enable the venereal ward to be utilised for ordinary Hospital work. I attach a statement showing the difference between the old Staff and the new, and showing a saving of nearly $1,000.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,
&c.