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HEALTH OF POLICE AT NEW TERRITORY (NORTH) STATIONS, 1925.
The general health of Police stationed in the Northern District of the New Territory, is still far from satisfactory. The following table gives the Sickness Returns from all the stations for the whole year. :-
To Hospt. Sick in station other Causes To Hospt. Sick in Station with Fever Sha Tau Kok 41 123 15 Castle Peak 44 67 10 Tai Po 24 70 12 10 4 Au Tau 20 62 10 5 22 Sha Tin 42 24 4 2 Ping Shan 23 39 12 14 Lok Ma Chau 26 29 16 10 Sai Kung 21 26 3 Sheung Shui 10 24 14 Ta Ku Ling 10 23 6 Total......... 261 487 102 52Although the figures for 1925, compared with those of 1924, show a reduction of 40 in the number of admissions to hospital, the improvement in health, as far as mere figures go, is more apparent than real, as a large number of men could not be admitted to hospital owing to lack of accommodation. This lack of hospital accommodation was a serious matter, especially in the case of men suffering from malaria who were thereby unable to obtain proper treatment and, in consequence, were constantly sick in station. The want of proper treatment is reflected in the large number of cases (487) of men sick in station with fever.
As in the past quinine was issued to all ranks daily throughout the greater part of the year. The use of Bamber Oil has proved of value in preventing mosquito bite, as also has the wearing of Gallipoli shorts by men on night duty during the hot season.
Sha Tau Kok, as in 1924, heads all other stations in the number of malaria cases: the Indian police now there being scarcely less immune to fever than were their predecessors, the W.H.W. Police. The figures for 1925, give no real indication of the ravages of malaria at this station, as during the year practically the whole establishment was changed 3 times, solely on account of malaria.