Page 31
IV.—PORT HEALTH WORK AND ADMINISTRATION,
124. In 1939, 3,664 British vessels entered and cleared the harbour as compared with 3,996 in 1938. To this number must be added 3,743 foreign vessels, which had totalled 3,132 in the previous year. The figures for river steamers, launches and foreign trade junks were 7,614, 960 and 7,900 respectively. The total tonnage fell from 29,530,384 in 1938 to 28,840,566 in 1939. 3,698 inward bound ocean-going vessels were boarded by port health officers.
125. Vessels from Canton, Macao and West River ports are visited when information is received of sickness or deaths on board. Periodic inspections of these vessels are carried out to check the vaccinal condition of incoming passengers and crews, as well as to promote higher standards of cleanliness on board and to decide on the necessity for deratization.
126. Owing to the incidence of cholera in Hong Kong and Macao, incoming and outgoing passengers from and to Macao were inspected from 16th June to 16th November. From 28th June, 1939 to 12th October, 1939, passengers proceeding to Macao were required to possess "official" cholera immunization certificates.
127. During the year seventy-six special visits were made to ships to see people suffering from infectious diseases, etc., nineteen out of thirty-eight bodies landed from vessels were examined at the public mortuary.
128. 1,988 bills of health were issued during the year.
129. Eight "infected" ships were quarantined in 1939 and ten "healthy" vessels carrying deck passengers were kept in quarantine for observation for varying periods. Excluding arrivals from Macao, 373,708 persons were medically examined on arrival, making an average of 1,024 a day.
130. 115,599 people were inoculated against cholera by port health officers, owing to the epidemic conditions prevailing in Hong Kong and neighbouring ports.
131. The Vaccination Ordinance of 1923 is rigorously enforced, and all passengers arriving in Hong Kong have to be vaccinated, unless they either show satisfactory evidence of vaccination against smallpox within the previous five years, or have suffered from smallpox. 67,360 persons were vaccinated on board ship or at the vaccination centre staffed by the vaccinators working under the port health officers.
132. The Quarantine (Measures on Departure) Regulations, 1939, and the Quarantine (Measures on Arrival) Regulations, 1939, provide for the medical inspection of outward bound passengers, when deemed advisable by His Excellency the Governor-in-Council, and for the specification of conditions concerning the validity of inoculation and vaccination certificates in the case of both incoming and outgoing passengers.
133. All emigrants from the Colony are medically examined, and vaccinated if necessary, before leaving. 80,611 emigrants were examined in 1939, of whom 79,967 paid for their passages while 644 had their passages paid for them. 401 emigrants were rejected, 16,107 were vaccinated.
134. The following table shows the number of emigrants leaving Hong Kong and the proportion proceeding to the Straits Settlements during the past five years:
Page 31
M 31
IV.-PORT HEALTH WORK AND ADMINISTRATION,
124. In 1939, 3,664 British vessels entered and cleared the harbour as compared with 3,996 in 1938. To this number must be added 3,743 foreign vessels, which had totalled 3,132 in the previous year. The figures for river steamers, launches and foreign trade junks were 7,614, 960 and 7,900 respectively. The total tonnage fell from 29,530,384 in 1938 to 28,840,566 in 1939. 3,698 inward bound ocean-going vessels were boarded by port health officers.
125. Vessels from Canton, Macao and West River ports are visited when information is received of sickness or deaths on board. Periodic inspections of these vessels are carried out to check the vaccinal condition of incoming passengers and crews, as well as to promote higher standards of cleanliness on board and to decide on the necessity for deratization.
+
126. Owing to the incidence of cholera in Hong Kong and Macao, incoming and outgoing passengers from and to Macao were inspected from 16th June to 16th November. From 28th June, 1939 to 12th October, 1939, passengers proceeding to Macao were required to possess "official" cholera immunization certificates.
127. During the year seventy-six special visits were made to ships to see people suffering from infectious diseases, etc., nineteen out of thirty-eight bodies landed from vessels were examined at the public mortuary.
128. 1,988 bills of health were issued during the year.
129. Eight "infected" ships were quarantined in 1939 and ten "healthy" vessels carrying deck passengers were kept in quarantine for observation for varying periods. Excluding arrivals from Macao, 373,708 persons were medically examined on arrival, making an average of 1,024 a day.
130. 115,599 people were inoculated against cholera by port health officers, owing to the epidemic conditions prevailing in Hong Kong and neighbouring ports.
131. The Vaccination Ordinance of 1923 is rigorously enforced, and all passengers arriving in Hong Kong have to be vaccinated, unless they either show. satisfactory evidence of vaccination against smallpox within the previous five years, or have suffered from smallpox. 67,360 persons were vaccinated on board ship or at the vaccination centre staffed by the vaccinators working under the port health officers.
132. The Quarantine (Measures on Departure) Regulations, 1939, and the Quarantine (Measures on Arrival) Regulations, 1939, provide for the medical inspection of outward bound passengers, when deemed advisable by His Excellency the Governor-in-Council, and for the specification of conditions concerning the validity of inoculation and vaccination certificates in the case of both incoming and outgoing passengers.
133. All emigrants from the Colony are medically examined, and vaccinated if necessary, before leaving. 80,611 emigrants were examined in 1939, of whom 79,967 paid for their passages while 644 had their passages paid for them. 401 emigrants were rejected, 16,107 were vaccinated.
134. The following table shows the number of emigrants leaving Hong Kong and the proportion proceeding to the Straits Settlements during the past five years:
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