258
41
Staff since the taking over of the Military cases. The admission of women and children of the Garrison bas not materially increased the work of the Sisters, 8.9 the following figures will show:-
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 3.In the year 1918 how many Military women and children were cared for in the Government Hospitals, and what fees did the Government receive in respect of such cases? Has there been any, and, if so, what increase in the Government Nursing Staff, and when, since the Government took over the care of such cases from the Military Authorities?
4. How many Sisters are there now on the Nursing Staff at the Government Civil Hospitals! Are two of such Sisters liable to be sent down to the Kennedy Town Hospital to Kurse small-pos and other infectious diseases, and are two more of such Sisters attending for the greater part of their time to the nursing of private cases in different parts of the Colony?
Daily Average of Patients Under Treatment
Civil Hospital.
1909
82.6
1909
90.2
1010
92.0
1911
91.2
1912
$4.8
1018
85.6
Maternity Hospital.
5. How many Probationers are there now on the Government Nursing Staff, and how many were there on the 23rd October, 1913, and the 23rd April, 1914, respectively?
1008 1909
2.61
3.8
1910
3.7
1911
4.07
1912
1913
7.2
4.57 Excluding
infanta
Victoria Hospital.
1911 1912 1913
14.24
10.33
6. When will the vacancies, which were caused by the marriages of two Sisters in April, 1914, be filled up? How long before such marriages did the Govern- ment know that they would take place, and has the Government taken any and what steps to fill up such vacancies
and when?
7. What is the maximum number of beds Sister on night duty has which a attended to since the 1st May, 1913?
re-
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY turned the following answers: —
Question 1: On the 19th August, 1913, two Probationers were advertised for in the Hongkong Daily Press, and in the Hongkong Telegraph, in each case from 11th July, 1913, to 17th July, 1913. In the same papers three Probationers were advertised for from the 22nd to 28th November, 1918. Five Probationers were advertised for in the South China Morn- ing Post from the 6th to 12th March, 1914. Question 2:-) Until recent years a fairly good supply of Probationers was forthcoming. (b) Yes.
Question 3-208 Military women and children were cared for in the Govern ment Hospitals in 1913, and $8,881.89 was received in fees on their account. These fees leave no profit to the Government. There has been no increase in the Nursing
14.04
At
At
Question 4:-This question evidences considerable misapprehension. The Staff of Sisters at the Government Civil HOB- pital borne on the Estimates is 9. Victoria Hospital it is 2 Kennedy Town Hospital it is 2.
There are in addition in residence at the Government Hospital 2 Private Nursing Sisters. When the Sisters for Kennedy Town Hospital are not required then they do duty at the Government Civil Hospital. When the Private Nursing Sisters are not out nursing they are available for duty at the Government Civil Hospital. At the present time there are 8 Bisters of the Government Civil Hospital Staff on duty at the Government Civil Hospital and also 2 Private Nursing Sisters who do not happen to be out nursing. There are three Sisters on duty at the Victoria. Hospital. There are none at Kennedy Town Hospital. The Private Nursing Sisters are engaged at private nursing for about 9 months in the year each. One of them is thus available for 6 months in the year at the Government Civil Hos pital. The Kennedy Town Hospital Sisters are for the greater part of the year employed at the Government Civil Hospital.
(c.) Two.
Question 6: One vacancy was filled by the arrival of a Sister on the 30th April, 1914. The second vacancy has been filled and the Sister is expected to arrive at
42
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Question :-(2.) Two. (6.) Four. unofficial Justices of the Peace to inquire into the nursing staff question at the and then have been pressed home. The Government Civil Hospital, would there fourth question which I put at the last which was given to it by the Colonial meeting of the Council and the answer
Secretary are both of them so important that I will crave the indulgence of this Council to read them now. My fourth question was:-
the end of June.
Question -It is not possible to ascer tain from the statistics kept the largest number of occupied beds which a Sister on night duty has attended to since the lat of May, 1913. The daily average number of patients in the Civil Hospital in 1913 was 85.6, excluding maternity cases, while two Sisters were on night duty during that period, except during the month of August, when two fairly senior Probationer Nurses each did a fortnight of night duty instead of a Sister. Two Sisters for night duty has i been the recognised number for the last 10 years.
Hos. Ma. H. E. POLLOCK then, in accordance with notice previously given, moved the following resolution :-
That the Governor-in-Counci! be requested to nominate (under the Com- missioners Powers Ordinance, 1886), five Unofficial Justices of the Peace as Com- missioners for the purpose of instituting, making and conducting an enquiry as to the sufficiency in numbers, efficiency, and organisation of the Nursing Staff at the Government Hospitals and as to their terms of service, pay and allowances.
HON. MR. POLLOCK, in moving the resolution. said-Your Excellency, I beg leave to move the motion of which I have given notice, and as hon, members have it in printed form before them I trust that if may be taken as read. Sir, this motion is a continuation, so to speak, of a request which was made by my hon. friend representing the Chamber of Commerce, when he was speaking on behalf of himself and the other unofficia! members of the Council in his speech relating to the Estimates, on October 23rd, 1913, and I think, Sir, that it may be confidently stated that if my hon. friend had then been given the information which was supplied at the last meeting of this Council by the Colonial Secretary, that the request which my hon. friend put forward on the 23rd of October last, for the appointment of a committee of five
|
Was any written representation sent in by the Nurses on the Staff of the Government Civil Hospital to the Prin- cipal Civil Medical Officer last summer upon the subject of the insufficiency in numbers of the Nursing Staff at that Hospital? Will the Government lay such written representation upon the table of this Council? Has any answer been sent to such written representation? If 80. will the Government lay such answer upon the table of this Council? What steps, if any, have been taken, and when, to remedy such insufficiency?"
To that question the Colonial Secretary replied as follows:-
be
"No such written representation was made to the Principal Civil Medical Officer by the Sisters (they are not called Nurses) : but under date of the 2nd of July lost the Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital addressed a letter to the Prin cipal Civil Medical Officer setting forth on behalf of the Sisters reasons why they considered their number should increased by two. The Superintende recommended the increase, as did the Th: Principal Civil Medical Officer. Governor, after investigation, recognised that an increase in staff was necessary. but decided that it should take the form of two additional probationers. This decision was communicated to the Head of the Department, and provision WAS made accordingly in the Estimates for the current year. In February of this year the Governor enquired whether the extra probationers had been engaged, and ho was informed that it had not been found possible to engage them. In these circum stances the question of the reorganization of the staff of sisters and probationers was again taken up and is being considered at the present time. It is not considered that any useful purpose would be served by laying papers on this subject on the table."
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