COPIE
Enclosure No. 1 to Despatch No.
236
of the
3rd June, 1903.
C. O.
27486
Government Civil Hospital,
Hongkong, 31st October, 1901
277
Sir,
I have the honour to report that since I left on leave very few patients have been admitted to the Female Venereal Wards.
Since the receipt of instructions contained in Secretary of State's Despatch No. 52 of 17th April, 1894, only those who have voluntarily attended have been treated.
It appears that since the Captain Superintendent of Police proceeded against these people, the private practitioners have started examination rooms and hospitals for these women, and they prefer to attend there as no certificates are issued here.
This being so, it seems useless to reserve these wards for that class of patient, especially as we are so hard pressed for room for destitute Indians and Chinese.
I recommend that the Female Venereal Wards be done away with and that they be utilized as 3rd class wards for destitutes; this will give us 28 more beds, and there will still be a ward available for the few female venereal cases which may voluntarily come to hospital. This year up to date, there has been only eight female venereal patients admitted.
As the raison d'être for Mrs. Ackers' post (Matron of the Female Wards) has ceased, I recommend that she be pensioned off for loss of office.
If the staff of probationers is maintained, we shall be able to work the wards without any addition to the staff of Nursing Sisters.
There is at present a vacancy for one probationer Nurse, and I request that I be authorised to advertise for one; provision for her salary is made in this year's estimates.
We shall require to work these wards two Native boys (Nurses) at $9 a month and one more coolie at $7 a month.
I enclose a tabular statement showing the present staff and the staff I suggest; I have not included the amahs as our staff of amahs is sufficiently large.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary.