570. The site chosen for the coolie lines was a valley some 500 yards distant from the nearest point on the Shing Mun River and 700 yards from the dam. A valley was chosen in preference to a ridge in the hope that the hills on either side would to a certain extent act as a barrier to the flight of mosquitoes from breeding grounds outside the area of control.
571. The site selected for the hospital and medical centre was a small knoll on a ridge overlooking the lines valley on the one side and the valley of the Shing Mun on the other. Very limited in extent this knoll had to accommodate the drinking water reservoir in addition. On the same ridge but separated by a distance of a quarter of a mile was the site for the European quarters.
572. As no standards had been laid down as regards house accommodation or hospital accommodation for labourers the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services asked for the standards in vogue in Malaya viz. 300 cubic feet space for the individual in the lines and hospital accommodation in the proportion of three beds for every 200 labourers for general diseases and a separate additional ward for special cases to the extent of 1 bed for every 100 labourers.
573. It was recommended that hospital buildings, quarters and lines be made mosquito proof.
574. A piped supply of good water, trough water closets and the drainage necessary for domestic purposes were also recommended.
575. The engineering authorities were of opinion that the Malayan standards were too liberal for Shing Mun and decided that line accommodation to the extent of 150 cubic feet per person was sufficient. It was also decided not to mosquito proof the lines as the engineers were confident that the drainage operations carried out by them would make mosquito access improbable.
576. Arrangements were made for a plentiful supply of filtered water to be delivered to the lines by pipes. Arrangements were also made for a complete sewage system with automatically flushed trough closets, septic tanks and filters.
577. With regard to the hospital it was agreed to erect in the first instance a small mosquito proof ward of 14 beds. This accommodation was deemed sufficient for a start as in the absence of any serious outbreak of malaria or of infectious diseases there might prove to be no need for a larger institution.
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