Following the escape of Dr. Gordon King in February 1942, the Japanese ordered the internment of most of the health staff, including the Deputy Directors of both the Health and Medical Services. Those finally permitted to remain outside until 7th May, 1943, were the Malariologist, one Health Officer, the Chief Health Inspector, five Health Inspectors, two mental attendants, four bakers (one of whom obtained an Irish permit and was permitted later to leave the Colony), six American and one British truck drivers, two doctors in the French Hospital, and myself. In June, 1942, the American truck drivers were repatriated, and in August, 1942, the two mental attendants were interned at their own request.
C.
GENERAL.
(i) Civilian Hospitals.
In the early stages the Japanese wished to close down most of the hospitals but were ultimately persuaded to keep open six of the more suitable hospitals for use by the public. Dr. Selwyn-Clarke also made an effort to keep the Queen Mary Hospital for civilian use, but in this he failed and the staff of that hospital were interned about the 20th January, 1942. In the case of one of the temporary hospitals, the Japanese agreed to the transfer of the patients from that hospital to the Sai Ying Pun Hospital which had been closed after being looted.
Although the difficulties encountered had been great when arranging for the opening of these hospitals for the public; those which had to be met in obtaining supplies of all types for the proper running of the hospitals concerned were, to say the least, gigantic. The Japanese from the start refused to furnish supplies and few persons, if any, had hopes that the hospitals would ever function efficiently. That they did in the circumstances is entirely due to the efforts of Dr. Selwyn-Clarke who spent hours on end awaiting interviews with the men holding sufficient power to grant what they termed favours. After days of this typical Japanese method of Government, Dr. Selwyn-Clarke finally obtained the necessary food and with the assistance of his lorry drivers delivered foodstuffs to those in most need.
The Japanese gradually took over the running of the civilian hospitals, but Dr. Selwyn-Clarke soon discovered it was still necessary for him to attend to most of the detailed work connected with supplies. The French Hospital, with some three hundred orphans, was left almost completely in his hands and the Japanese made no attempt to staff this hospital or furnish it with the necessary funds or medicines. All these difficulties were in time overcome and up to his arrest the hospitals were all functioning as efficiently as circumstances permitted.
Funds were also supplied to the Matron of the Tsun Yuk Maternity Hospital in order that she could admit and pay the fees for indigent mothers. The Japanese Authorities required payment from all and sundry and even the very poorest patients required funds before being given treatment.
(ii) Medicines.
Dr. Selwyn-Clarke's work in recovering many of the essential medicines calls for the very greatest praise from all concerned as the Japanese Military Authorities requisitioned all the bulk supplies immediately they entered the Colony. I shall make mention here, however, of only the more outstanding instances where he recovered some of these supplies.
His most courageous effort in this connection was his action in obtaining sufficient supplies of Vitamin B.1 powder
for/
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