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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
I admit, and it may probably be said that we have a very satisfactory number of nurses, and cannot afford any more. That is a debateable point. I think we can and we ought to That is not the question. As to the number of nurses, we have to deal with a population of so many hundreds of thousands of people, The point is that we require trained nurses from Home, not local probationers who, as we know, are practically of little use for certainly many months after they first take office. We are prepared to pay anything in reason for this necessity-not luxury, absolute necessity; exactly in the same way as wireless, which was unknown a few years ago, is now an absolute neces- sity to modern shipping. If it can be proved to the satisfaction of the Colony that we cannot afford more nurses, that we have got to rest content with the small staff we have, then I can only say that the whole reorganisation of the work of that staff should be considered. We be- live we are amply justified in stating that these good ladies are greatly over- worked. We know the number of patients who are treated in the hospitals, and we know the number of nurses, and we quite realise that they cannot possibly satis- factorily grapple with the amount of work they are supposed to do. Now, I am not speaking without special know- ledge. It has been my fate to have had very considerable experience of nurses and nursing homes. I spent many months at two very well-known nursing homes in London, where women were constantly relieved, undertaking comparatively few cases, and some of them only single cases. They were working night and day under my personal observation, and I know that, even, under the most favourable con- ditions, the work was so arduous that they constantly required recreation. The nurses here have other things to contend with. They have a tropical climate, suffer troubles, illnesses and petty annoyances in the way of prickly heat and so forth, which they would escape at Home. This is all added to the fact that they are deal ing with a great number of cases at the same time; I believe I am right in say- ing, far too many cases, and the holidays are, comparatively speaking, few and far between. I maintain that the Govern- ment have no right to work their em- ployees to such an extent, certainly not ladies. delicate women engaged in arduous profession and in
an climate. It is wrong, absolutely wrong, a hostile and if you cannot see your way to in- crease the staff. then you must reduce
their labours. It is making a farce of the thing to ask women to undertake more work than they can possibly carry out, and then turn round and say, "This is Colony of the same size has, and you our nursing staff, as good as any other
to look at it. must be satisfied." That is not the way should take the whole community fully I think the Government into their confidence. Let us discuss this question, not in a hostile spirit, but work- ing for the best results to the Colony, and I am quite sure, Sir, that any reason- able proposition your Excellency puts before us we shall be glad to accept. We do consider, in the first place, that the staff should be increased, and, if that is not possible, that the work of the nurses should be decreased.
sorry I cannot accept this motion for H18 EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, I am
recommendations to increase the staff a very simple reason. The number of which are forwarded every month in the year to the Governor by each department appoint a committee to inquire into each are very numerous, and if I were ty one of these with which I did not agree, well, the busy time of unofficial members of this Council, and of civilians outside Government departments who apparently desire to sit on such committees, would be occupied to an extraordinary extent. Now, it is the rule of the Government service that if the head of a department wants an increase of staff he sende for- ward & recommendation, backed by solid facts, in time for provision to be made after there has been time to get the sanc- in the estimates of the succeeding year tion of the Secretary of State to the increase in the personnel. mendation was made in the middle of last This recom- summer, beyond the time have stated. When you come to examine which I the facts set out in the answers to the questions of the hon. member you are faced with the conclusion that there has been no great increase of cases treated in the hospitals; extensions to the
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hospitals of any material size; nothing to indicate why, suddenly, in the middle of the year 1913, it is considered necessary to increase the staff of the hospitals. There have been many able heads of the Medical Department. Dr. Atkinson him- self was the man who introduced the Nursing Staff from Home. For several stood as it is now. years before he left the Colony the staff recommendations for an increase. There- He never made any fore, when I received the recommenda-
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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tion, backed as it was by officers of the perhaps eight years of my life in bed department-but that is nothing extra when a boy, being nursed, so I know what ordinary, for some heads of departments good nursing means. are only too ready to recommend increases here do eight hours' duty out of the Now, these sisters in their staff-it was not surprising that twenty-four; that is to say, they have I should consider it necessary that some
justification should be given me for such sixteen hours of leisure. At the London An increase. I considered that
Hospital the nurse on day duty goes on increase in the probationers' staff would at 7 in the morning and remains on duty be sufficient, I made that decision on the till 9.30 p.m., with an interval of three 11th August, and left the Colony on leave hours off duty out of that time, and the on the following day. Probably, if I had nurse on night duty is on for twelve remained here, and it had been represent- hours at a spell. In addition, the nurs- ed to me that it was difficult to get pro- ing staff at the London Hospital do the bationers, then I might have made some whole of what I may call the menial other disposition. As it was, remarks services; they have no other help or assis made by the hon. member who represents tance of any kind, they have to wash the Chamber of Commerce when the patients, make the beds, deal with slops, Estimates were under consideration were bed pans, etc., carry food and medicines; brought to my notice when I returned. I in fact everything is done by the nursing inquired whether probationers had been staff with the exception of scrubbing obtained, and as they had not, then I floors, cleaning stoves, making fires and proceeded to thoroughly investigate the washing crockery. Now, the sisters here conditions of the staff. Well, the conclusion are assisted by no less than 22 ward boys I arrived at was that while the staff was in the Government Civil Hospital and absolutely adequate for the work it has two amaha, and io the Maternity to do, there was no provision for absences Hospital by five amahs. The whole during leave. That is in accordance with of the drudgery work is done by the policy of this Government; no de- this part of the staff, and in addi- partment is supplied with extra members tion there is 蹑 staff of coolies to for filling vacancies caused through leave. do the housemaid work, so the plea of I also found a matter which had not overwork won't hold water. There is been, but required to be, dealt with, and another point I would like to mention, to which I had myself drawn attention and that is, that as far as I can make out before I went on leave; that was the there is not any hospital in any Crown treatment of maternity cases by nurses ('olony of the size of the Civil Hospital from general wards. That is a point that has the same amount of European which ought to be remedied. Taking nursing staff. I have been in the Colony these two points into consideration, of Fiji, which has a very large medical came to the conclusion since the last department, and certainly we had nothing meeting of the Council that I would re
like the white staff there. commend to the Secretary of State an
The same increase of three sisters as a temporary the Straits Settlements. The Empire of obtains in Ceylon, and in Singapore and measure pending further investigation as Indis would be ruined if they tried tc to the disposition of the staff. One of
these nurses has been engaged, and we are run their hospitals the way we run ours. looking for two more. I trust that that Therefore I have been forced to the information will be satisfactory to hon. conclusion that some reorganisation is members, and it seems to render quite necessary. I am going to make, with the the elaborate committee approval of the Secretary of State, an which they wish to have appointed.
unnecessary
HON. MR. POLLOCK-Does your Ex- cellency mean three sisters in addition to the one coming out at the end of June to supply the vacancy of one of the sisters who got married?
HIS EXCELLENCY-Yes, and I think it would be useful if I just say a word about the work of these sisters. I have the greatest sympathy for them. I have suffered a great deal myself; I passed
increase in the staff for the specific purposes mentioned, but I would inform hon. members that in my opinion we must place a limit to the number of sisters doing the ordinary work of the hospital. It is not at all necessary that the Childar pirates should have the tender care of white nurses; something less expensive ought to be good enough for them. The han, member who proposed the resolution took some exception to the answer to these questions. Really I cannot under-
stand why. I took a good deal of trouble
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