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dressers, On
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
A. It was suggested by the Colonial Secretary that a system of Chinese the lines of a system of native dressers which had worked most satisfactorily in hospitals for Asiatic patients in the Federated Malay States, should be given a trial in the Asiatic wards of the Government Civil Hospital. Q.--5. Is it not the fact that on the 28th October last, the late Mr. E. A. Hewett, speaking in Council on behalf of the Unofficial Members, expressed their op- position to the substitution of 6 Proba- tioner Dressers for 2 Nurses!
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The late Mr. A. 5. This is the case. Hewett said that probationer dressers, although they are very useful, cannot possibly take the place of Nurses." This Government on the other hand is of the opinion that properly trained dressers can and should take over a large part of the duties of European Nurses in wards for Asiatic patients. Arrangements have recently been made for Japanese Staff Nurses and probationer Nurses to ake charge of the Asiatic wards in B Block at the Government Civil Hospital.
Q6. For what period of time are such Probationer Dressers engaged? Are they not constantly changing? Does not the
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Blue Book for 1915 (at pages J 134-6) contain the following Record with_regard! to Probationer Dressers, at the Govern- ment Civil Hospital, who were engaged to take the place of the said 2 Sisters, namely:--
Probationer Dressers
Li King-po, appointed 1st July. Chan Wang-shang, appointed 1st July.
resigned 31st August.
Wong Tak, appointed 1st September,
resigned 15th October.
han Fuk-loi, appointed 16th October. Chan Chuen, appointed 1st July, re-
signed 31st October.
Leung Ying, appointed 1st November. Chan Hoi-chuen, appointed 1st July,
resigned same date.
Tsang Put-ting, appointed 6th July,
resigned 15th December.
Kwok Po-sum, appointed 16th Decem-
ber.
Li Shu-nam, appointed 1st July, re-
signed 30th September. Benjamin Young, appointed 1st Octo-
ber.
Chan Man-chung, appointed 1st July,
resigned same date.
Cheuk Sui-bun, appointed 9th July.
A.-6. Probationer dressers are engaged on a probationary period of six years. They are required to pass an examination at the end of the first, second, third, and sixth years, the Blue Book record of changes in the Staff of dressers is cor- rect. Great difficulty was at first experi- enced in engaging a suitable class of man, but now that the system is better it is hoped that better understood material will become available.
Q.-7. With reference to that part of the statement made by the Government, in answer to my question 3 (i) at the last meeting of the Council, which reads as follows:-
The Staff was increased, and it is considered that the present establishment, when at full strength, is ample for pur- poses of granting customary leave of absence," will the Government state
(i) For how many months such increase
of Staff was in force, and also (ii) Whether it is not the fact that, on the date of the last meeting of the Council, when the above answer was given, out of the 14 Sisters on the Government Nursing Staff in the Estimates for 1916 (exelusive of the 2 Sisters on the Private Nursing Staff) there were 7 Sisters only in the Colony then available for duty, of whom 3 had then already com- pleted 4 years of Service!
A.-7. (1). The Staff of Nursing Sisters was increased in November. 1914. It was at full strength up to and including May, 1915.
(ii). Out of the fourteen Sisters shown in the Estimates for 1916 eight were in the Colony avail- able for duty at the date men- tioned. At that date they had the temporary assistance of four ladies, one fully and three par- tially trained. Of the eight Sisters referred to three had com- pleted four years' service. Of these one has now gone on leave and the remaining two propose to sail
on the 9th and 30th August respectively.
Q-8. With reference to the following portion of the answer given to my ques- tion 2 at the last meeting of Council. namely:-
!
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During the period January, 1913. to June, 1916, inclusive the Nursing Staff in the Colony has been below the number borne on the Estimates during
12
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL:
Tonths. it has been equal to er in excess of that number during 30 months. will the Government state
(i) When did the period or periods of time occur, making up the said 12 months during which the Govern ment admits that the Nursing Staff in the Colony has, been below the number borne on the Estimates!! And will the Government state by how many during each of such periods such Nursing Staff has been (ii) When did the period or periods of time. in the said 30 months, occur during which the Nursing Staff is alleged by the Government to have been in excess of the numbers borne on the Estimates, and by how many Sisters is it alleged that the Nursing Staff was in excess of the numbers on the Estimates during any and what portion of such period or periods? (iii) When did the period or periods of time in the said 30 months occur during which the Government alleges that the Nursing Staff was equal to the numbers borne on the Estimates!
(iv) For how many months and during what months of what years, during the said period January, 1913, 10 June. 1916, was the same Sister attending to maternity cases at the same time as she was attending to
other cases in either A or B Block! Is it admitted by the Government that such a course of procedure was undesirable? Was not such a course of procedure owing to a shortage Sisters available for nursing duty? () Is it not the fact that during the said period January, 1913, to June, 1916. the Staff of Sisters available for duty was so short that different Sisters were obliged at different times to go on duty, when they were so seriously indisposed as to he in fact unfit for taking duty by reason of their suffering severely from diphtheria, gallstones, boils, acute sore throat, and dysentery? -s. (i) (ii) (iii). The words "The Nursing Staff in the Colony in the reply to the second question put by the honourable member on the last occasion should have been The Nursing Staff employed by the Colony." The mistake, which arose through the misreading of a return furnished from the Government Civil Hospital is regretted. The exact position is as follows:-Throughout 1913
A.
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to
and 1914 provision was made in the Estimates for Afteen Sisters. From January to June, 1913, fifteen Sisters were in the employment of the Govern ment and two of these were on leave. From July to October, 1913, fifteen Sisters were employed of whom one was on leave. In November, 1913, sixteen Sisters were employed of whom one was
leave. I on
From December, 1913, June, 1914, fifteen Sisters were employed, of whom one was on leave. In July and September, 1914, sixteen Sisters were August, 1914, fifteen Sisters were employ- employed of whom one was on leave. In
ed, of whom one
leave. In October, 1914, fifteen Sisters were in the Colony. 1914, eighteen Sisters were in the Colony.
Sisters.
on Was
In November and December,
were
In 1915 provision was made for eighteen from January to May: seventeen were Eighteen were in the Colony
in the Colony in employed and the Colony from July to September: and June: fifteen were employed and were in
fifteen were employed, one of whom was on leave, from October to December. In 1916 provision was made for sixteen Sisters. In January sixteen were em- ployed, of whom one was on leave. February and March fourteen were em- loyed, of whom one was on leave. In April and May thirteen were employed of whom two were ou leave. In June twelve were employed of whom two leave.
were
In
(iv). There is 110 record of the Maternity Hospital being sepa- rated from the general hospital until August, 1913, when a Sister was temporarily engaged to take charge of the maternity hospital. She was assisted by a probationer nurse, or by one of the Private Nursing Staff when available. A Sister on duty in the General Hospital continued to take charge of the maternity cases at night. From October, 1914, the Mater- nity Hospital has been entirely separate from the General Hos- pital. The Government concurs that the existing system is pre- ferable to the system which pre- viously obtained. The former procedure was not due to any shortage of Sisters.
(v). The Superintendent of the Civil
Hospital, the Matron, and the late Acting Matron concur that no Sister has at any time been obliged to go on duty when she was so seriously indisposed as to
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