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4.-HOSPITAL, INSTITUTES, &c. Civil Hospital.
Dr. D. J. Valentine, M.C. was the Medical Officer in charge. Dr. J. R. Craig succeeded Dr. W. L. Paterson, M.C. as second Medical Officer, the latter proceeding to East Africa on transfer.
Buildings etc.-No structural additions or alterations were made during the year.
The new admissions to hospital (exclusive of the Maternity Block and Lunatic Asylum) were 4,698.
The daily average of in-patients was 188.
There was rarely a vacant bed in the general wards of the hospital.
All nationalities of both sexes (except European women and children) were treated, but by far the greatest proportion of patients were Chinese Males.
European Japanese etc. Indian Chinese
603 77 1002 3212
The Patients were divided as follows:-
1st class 2nd class 3rd class
47 189 4658
The Males numbered 3952
The Females numbered 942
A large proportion of the 3rd class patients were treated free of charge.
Deaths-416 Patients died and of these 185 died within 24 hours of admission.
The high death rate is mainly accounted for by the fact that a large number of Chinese patients come to hospital in the last stage of disease, especially pulmonary tuberculosis. Major accidents occurring in various parts of the island were also responsible for this high death rate.
Incidentally 60 infants under the age of one year died in hospital. The commonest cause was Broncho-pneumonia.
Table 1 is a detailed list of the number of cases and deaths of each particular disease. A few of these call for special comment.