29.
During 1939, 488 cases and 214 deaths were recorded, a case mortality of 44%. This compares with 483 cases, 223 deaths and a case mortality of 46% in 1938. A certain amount of success was obtained from the exhibition of drugs of the sulphanilamide group in such patients, although those receiving the drug and serum appeared to do better than those on the former alone.
30. (iv) Tuberculosis. More serious than any of the three acute infectious diseases mentioned above was the incidence of tuberculosis. This constituted a major killing disease in 1939 and was responsible for 4,443 deaths or 9.2 per centum of all deaths registered. Active measures were taken to combat disease. Compulsory notification of cases was introduced in January, 1939, and by the end of the year some 7,591 cases had been reported to the health authorities. Pasteurization of milk became compulsory in April, 1939, and bacteriological standards for pasteurized milk were introduced in December, 1939.
31. An anti-tuberculosis campaign was started in the Chinese and English press and on the radio at the end of the year to rouse public interest in the cause and prevention of the disease.
(e) Hospitals.
32. The very heavy increase in the population from the advent of refugees, many ill-nourished and diseased, from devastated areas threw a serious burden on hospital accommodation.
33. The Chinese hospitals in particular became seriously overcrowded and had to accommodate twice their official number of in-patients. In one of the three main hospitals temporary straw matsheds had to be erected to accommodate over 200 beds to deal in part with the heavy burden thrown upon this institution. Out-patient facilities also suffered from lack of space and staff and this resulted in rather long delays before patients were attended and in the staff being able to devote but little time to individual patients. Full use was, of course, made of the services of registered medical practitioners who volunteered to work in an honorary capacity.
34. The Technical Committee for the reorganization and improvement of existing official hospital and clinical facilities appointed by His Excellency Sir Geoffry Northcote on the 13th of May, 1938, under the chairmanship of the Director of Medical Services concluded their deliberations on the 1st of May, 1939, and submitted their report. Details of the findings and recommendations of this Committee are given in Appendix II.
35. The Committee's inquiries ranged over the whole field of the public health question, hospitalization facilities and requirements, laboratory facilities, medical education and co-operation between the Government Medical Department and private medical practitioners. The findings and recommendations contained in this report have received the careful consideration of Government and have recently formed the subject of a despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
36. An important step was taken in connexion with the control of the three large Chinese hospitals in Hong Kong during the year by the appointment of a medical committee under the chairmanship of the Director of Medical Services.
Hitherto, the hospitals had been operated by a lay body of Chinese directors—mostly busy business men with little time to devote to such matters.
The need for very much larger financial assistance* from Government served as a means of introducing a certain measure of control by the Committee referred to above. Generally speaking, the first year of the committee's work showed satisfactory progress and solid foundations were laid which will, it is believed, have a very real ameliorative effect on the care of the sick poor.
*The Government subvention to the Tung Wah Hospital in 1939 amounted to $400,000.