1878 — Page 272

The Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital to the Colonial Surgeon.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 10th May, 1879.

SIR,—I have the honour to forward the Hospital Statistics for the year 1878, with remark thereon.

I was absent on leave for seven months from 11th May to December 12th, and I am therefore na in a position to make a complete report of the working of the Hospital for the year.

Any reference to the buildings in which the work was done is unnecessary, they have been bum and may now be allowed to rest in peace.

The burning, on the morning of the 26th December, was fortunately not attended with any mishap to the patients, as, with two exceptions, they were able to convey themselves to places of safety. and there was sufficient warning to enable every one to be removed in time. Those of them wh were unable to take care of themselves, or were homeless, were accommodated in the Gnol infirmav for 24 hours; the others, sailors, police, &c., made their way to the boarding houses and elsewhere and returned to Hospital when the new temporary establishment was opened on the following day.

The staff worked very well under the trying circumstances; most of them lost some of thei effects in attending to the calls of duty, and some of them sacrificed everything belonging to themselves. Their behaviour on this occasion was such as to deserve some encouragement.

On the 27th December, the Lock Hospital at West Point was opened as a temporary Civi Hospital, and a few remarks concerning this building may not be out of place.

It is admirably situated, standing on an eminence about 107 feet above mean low water. Th raised above the Queen's Road it stands well out towards the Harbour, and lying on the North-wes side of the Penk, it has the advantage of wind from nearly every quarter.

The building itself, however, though good as a makeshift, is not large enough for a Civil Hospital and it has faults of construction and arrangement, which materially detract from its value as a Hospital. The approach from the Queen's Rond is in a very bad condition; the road is dilapidated, and the space beside it is used for shooting rubbish, and also as a public latrine for coolics: it is very foul i some places.

The accommodation for patients is as follows:-

Medical and Surgical,

Ordinary cases,

Venereal,

Special cases, ...

Female,..

(1st class,

Private cases,

}

***.34

15

...10

4

1

2nd class,...

The 1st class wards are badly arranged, the four rooms being only separated by a wooden partition open at the top and bottom, and there is a stove only in one of tliem, so the other three are very cold it winter and cannot always be used.

The water closets are not well arranged, for they are all inside the building, and have free commu nication with the wards.

For the ordinary requirements of the Hospital there should be not less than the following number of beds :-

Ordinary cases,

Special cases,

Private cases,

Medical and Surgical, ƒ Venereal, 1Female,

......

(Male, 1s class, Female,.

Male,

2nd class, Female...

.50

.20

8

2

6

2

and there should be as well some additional provision for emergencies, and accommodation for infe tious fevers.

The dispensary, drug store and Apothecary's quarters are all in one room, separated merely an eight-foot partition; neither of them is sufficiently large and the arrangement is palpably a bad on There is no accommodation whatever for analytical work.

There is not sufficient room for the stores of all kinds, and the Storekeeper's quarters are ver defective.

The office and consulting room both of the Colonial Surgeon and of the Superintendent of th Hospital are not large enough and not private enough for medical examinations.

There is no operating room.

The accommodation for nurses and servants is not sufficient and it is badly arranged.