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The Almoner, however, carried out most valuable work of a somewhat different kind, though still connected with the welfare of individuals and groups. As the first Chairman, and later, Deputy Chairman of the Inter national Welfare Committee in Stanley Civilian Internment Camp she formed a very necessary link with the Hong Kong Informal Welfare Committee formed by the writer as a substitute for a Red Cross organisation which was vetoed by the Japanese Authorities in the earlier stages of their occupation. The International Welfare Committee ascertained what was needed for the inmates of Stanley Camp and for the camp hospital and communicated them to the Hong Kong Committee.
The work of the International Welfare Committee of which the Honourable
/m Mr. F. C. Gison, Colonial Secretary and head of the Camp, became Chairman in the summer of 1942 is of such importance as to warrant the inclusion of a copy of the Almoner's (Deputy Chairman) account as an appendix to this report, q.v.
(c) OUTPATIENTS' DEPARTMENTS
Outpatient Departments continued to function on a much reduced basis at St. Paul's Hospital until the staff quarters and other premises suffered serious damage from allied air bombardment in January, 1945, and at the Nethersole, Tung Wah, Kwang Wah and, for limited periods, the Sai Ying Pun Hospitals. Outpatient activities at Queens Road Outpatients' Departments at the Queen were Mary and Kowloon Hospitals was restarted in September, 1945, before the
hospitals were actually ready to receive in-patients.
(4) PUBLIC DISPENSARIES
The Japanese adopted the attitude that public dispensaries, like civilian hospitals, were unlikely to contribute to the Japanese war effort and so were unworthy of assistance. As a result, many of the public dispensaries closed hose down including that at Aberdeen, the Western and Central, Stanley, Tsun Wan, Sai Kung Sham Treng, Ho Tung and Fanling Dispensaries. The Kowloon City Dispensary one of the best of its kind, was demolished during the widening HONG of Kai Tak Airfield and the Hong Hen Dispensary was damaged during the HOM successful bombing of Kowloon Docks by allied aircraft. At Shaukiwan Eastern (Wanchai), Shamshuipo, Yaumati, Taipo, Un Long and Sheung Shui, Chinese doctors were permitted to carry on private practice and were occasionally (and at irregular intervals) given a few medical supplies by the Japanese. The Malariologist acted as Medical Officer to the Aberdeen Dis- pensary from February 1942, until he was interned in May 1943, since malaria became hyperendemic in the locality from lack of anti-malaria oil and other preventive measures. Early in September, 1945, steps were taken to reopen the majority of the dispensaries, but new buildings are necessary in the case of several of those situated on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories, e.g., at Central, Aberdeen, Hung Hop, Kowloon City, Tsun Wan, Taipo. It is hoped that the Medical Department will undertake similar work at Sha Tau Kok, at one or two other centres where St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade operated before the Pacific War. (In parenthesis, it is also hoped that the Association will be able to maintain the hospital-dispensary on Cheung thay Island for the time being).
(d) WELFARE CENTRES
Although the staffs of the Western, Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsui Welfare Centres were kept together in the hope that the Japanese would permit the writer to reopen them, his repeated requests were refused. The Violet Peel Centre was looted and then partially destroyed during an allied aerial bombard- ment, the Western was taken over as quarters of the "anti-epidemic unit
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and the Tsim Sha Tsui became the Central District Bureau for Civil Affairs n Kowloon (registration, ration cards, etc.). On the reoccupation of Hong Kong, the Western and Tsim Sha Tsui Welfare Centres were reopened and the former Maijima Hospital, Wanchai, was converted into a welfare centre. At the two last mentioned, social hygiene clinics were rapidly established in view of the very high incidence of venereal disease amongst the community and the resulting danger to the relieving forces.
I. Refugee Settlements
Lacking suitable accommodation for the prisoners of war captured in 1941, the Japanese took over Ma Tap Chung, Argyle, and North Point Camps for
이 internment purposes.
Early in 1942, the troops were transferred from North Point Camp to Shamshuipo and the former camp was, later, used as a concentration point for destitutes prior to forcible “ repatriation". Many of the destitutes died before embarkation, many died in transit to barren islands and some were reported, on reliable information, to have been "disposed of " before arrival at any disembarkation point,
In October, 1945, the Medical Department resumed control of North Point Camp, or rather what remained of it after war damage and looting.
Kam Tin Refugee Camp in the New Territories was closed in January, 1942, the British Commandant having been hacked to pieces on the 17th December, 1941.
*Fanling Orphan Children's Camp, the inmates of which were transferred to the Hong Kong Jockey Club premises near Fanling immediately hostilities started was taken over by the Japanese as a barracks for their troops. King's Park Refugee Camp was the only one retained as such throughout the occupation. At the beginning of hostilities, the camp held approximately 1,300 of whom the majority were orphan girls. When the writer was permitted to revisit the camp three months after the surrender only 400 remained alive. Most of the children were suffering from signs of advanced malnutrition, the stores of rice, beans, etc., which the writer had had delivered to the camp at the beginning of December, 1941 having been long exhausted. The Japanese Medical Authorities refused to be responsible in any way for the maintenance of the camp and a body of local Chinese (including a number of the Clerical Staff of the Medical Department) undertook the care of the orphans. By the time the British Forces reoccupied Hong Kong, the number of children had been reduced to one tenth of the original figure.
It is to be hoped that the Medical Department will take charge of the camp as before the war since it serves a very useful purpose in caring for children without parents or relatives who are fit for discharge from hospital and in need of after care. The camp also provides medical and educational facilities for ill-treated mui-tsai ("adopted" children).
J. School Hygiene
All schools were closed at the commencement of hostilities in Hong Kong in order to obviate loss of life from concentrations struck by shells or bombs and because some of the schools were needed as relief hospitals, first aid posts, medical stores, and the like. For several months after the surrender, the Japanese refused to allow schools to reopen. Later, a small number were per- mitted on undertaking to teach the Japanese language. Little scope existed for school medical work, with the possible exception of that carried out by the informal Hong Kong Welfare Committee in premises hired from St. Paul's Hospital and loaned in Kowloon for the children of those interned in the
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