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FINANCE.
9. The financial year was altered from the calendar year to a period of fifteen months from the 1st of January, 1940, to the 31st of March, 1941, to coincide with the new financial year. In consequence, figures are not comparable for 1939 and 1940. The following have, however, been prepared for purposes of comparison:-
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
Expenditure
Year
Revenue
Ordinary recurrent
Special
Total
1939
1940
$2,445,877.14 $40,721.67 $2,486,598.81 $466,054.72
$2,722,620.44 $56,479.05 $2,779,099.49 $1,280,375.01
Increase
$276,743.30 $15,757.38 $292,500.68 $814,320.29
Approximate public health expenditure January-December:-
Medical Department
$2,779,099.49
Motor ambulance service
$36,830.52
Public Works Department
$1,568,766.84
Sanitary (Urban Council) Department .
$1,197,766.05
Subsidies to charities
$1,287,155.85
10. The total revenue of the Colony for the period January to December, 1940 was $52,894,478.72. The expenditure on medical and allied services was therefore 12.99 per centum of the whole.
POPULATION.
11. Although the surplus of immigrants by recognized sea and land routes exceeded the number of emigrants by 13,761, the number of deaths recorded (61,010) substantially exceeded for the first time the number of births registered (45,064), resulting in an actual decrease of population, Another contributory
cause of the decrease was the compulsory evacuation from the Colony of British European women and children in July, 1940, when about three thousand were sent to the Philippines and later to Australia. This had the effect of stimulating the departure of about 40,000 members of the Chinese community.
REFUGEES.
12. Many of the refugees, having used up all the savings they had brought with them, became homeless and destitute.
13. The Medical Department continued to be responsible for their care and the population of the camps administered departmentally was usually in the neighbourhood of 10,000. Many of the members of this large family were repatriated immediately information was obtainable that living conditions were possible in their ancestral villages. Free passages and a small ex gratia grant from Government to help them on their journey, and clothes and rice for three days if they were crossing into Chinese territory constituted the principal forms of assistance given to repatriates.
NUTRITION.
14. The Nutrition Research Committee continued to carry out useful work investigating a suitable diet within the purchasing power of the masses.
15. The considerable increase in the cost of living, and especially in the rice staple and firewood for cooking it, and the difficulty in securing supplies, combined with high rentals and low earnings, resulted in evidence of serious malnutrition.
REORGANIZATION.
16. The Health Division of the Medical Department was reorganized and the health inspectors worked for the first time in the history of the Colony under the direct control of the health officers instead of under lay authorities. But for this a far greater toll of life might have been signalled.
17. Progress was made in the reorganization of Chinese hospitals, although these still remain very overcrowded and it is not uncommon to find twice, thrice or even more times the number of in-patients as there are beds.
NEW ITEMS.
(a) Health Centre.
18.
A new health centre was opened on the Kowloon Peninsula with added facilities for advice and treatment for mothers and babies and patients with tuberculosis and venereal disease.
(b) Mental Hospital Extension.
19. With the renovation of some old buildings, it was possible to open a hospital of one hundred beds in one of the most congested areas of Victoria. Making use of other groups of old buildings, the Mental Hospital was, also, added to by 107 beds for women patients. This was an important step, since the Japanese authorities prevented any Chinese nationals suffering from mental disease from being transferred to Canton (Chinese territory). The Mental Hospital is no longer grossly overcrowded.
(c) Renovation of Leper Settlement.
20. A rather old and very dilapidated building with accommodation for 144 lepers was, also, completely renovated and now serves as a much more satisfactory settlement. It suffers from being constantly overcrowded since the Japanese authorities are unwilling to allow repatriation to leper settlements in Chinese territory.
CIVILIAN MEDICAL (DEFENCE) SCHEME.
21. Considerable time was spent in bringing up to concert pitch the auxiliary medical services such as first aid posts, casualty clearing hospitals, relief hospitals, etc., for which doctors, sisters, nurses, dressers, dispensers, were trained so as to be available in the event of hostilities breaking out locally.
22. One of the major difficulties encountered concerned the recruiting of auxiliaries to meet possible emergencies, and this was accentuated in relation to nurses (of whom there was a very real shortage) due, inter alia, to the compulsory evacuation. To meet this and the need to keep sisters in Great Britain, members of the British, Chinese, Eurasian, and Indian communities were trained in first aid and home nursing both by lectures and with practical training in hospital.
23. The personnel of St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade numbering about 1,500, who will man the first aid posts in an emergency, also received intensive training.
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