CO129-567-6 Tung Wah Hospitals- supplementary expenditure 22-1-1938 - 13-1-1939 — Page 21

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herbalist wards.

They abolished the practice hitherto

followed of enquiring of each patient which treatment he preferred, and sent to the herbal doctors only those

persons who spontaneously demanded herbal treatment.

The result has been that the number of in-patients on the Chinese side has been considerably reduced.

8.

Although a large body of representative Chinese opinion now accepts without question the superiority of Western medicine, there are factors which tell in the other direction, and assurances are being sought that the policy of gradual abolition of herbalist treatment within the hospitals shall be maintained by succeeding Boards of

Directors.

9.

With this end in view and with the object of securing control over the administration of the hospitals commensurate with the assistance which it will clearly be necessary for them to receive from Government in future, certain proposals have been put forward by the Financial Secretary, Secretary for Chinese Affairs and Director of Medical Services in consultation.

These proposals are as follows:-

(1) The Committee shall prepare and adhere to a proper annual budget and shall submit annual accounts audited by an auditor approved by Government.

(2) The annual budget shall be approved by the

Permanent Advisory Committee (of which the

Secretary for Chinese Affairs is ex officio

Chairman).

(3) The medical and charitable work of the hospitals shall be separated as completely as possible; particular (a) separate budgets shall be prepared

in