CO129-592-1 Reports on current situation- medical work 3-11-1945 - 7-3-1946 — Page 54

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

stated they could only guarantee supplies to the end of June after which funds might not be available.

In addition to the fresh milk, he obtained a free supply of skim milk which he discovered the Japanese were discarding, and this he sent to the Canossa for distribution between dependants and destitutes. Tinned milk was also sent to the Canossa and Tsun Yuk Maternity Hospitals and this he obtained from supplies recovered or received from the Japanese.

(viii) T.B. Wards in the French Hospital.

52"

To cope with Tubercular patients it was necessary to open special wards for them at the French Hospital. Funds were not available but the Japanese in time agreed to Dr. Selwyn-Clarke withdrawing part of the funds of the Anti-Tuberculosis Association. These funds were used in the purchase of a large quantity of soya beans and margarine. He spent months trying to reopen the Soya Bean Milk Company so that cheap milk would be available for the poor, but as this factory was occupied by the Military, he never succeeded. Soya bean milk was, however, made on a small scale by the staff at the French Hospital and this was available for the poor and the Tubercular patients.

Two T.B. wards, one for women and the other for men, were opened with a staff of one Chinese lady doctor (ex Government) ex Government nurses, and menial staff. These wards remained open in the French Hospital until our internment and I left some 8,000 Dollars with the medical officer in charge so that these wards could remain open for a short time anyway. Indigent patients in these wards received free treatment and a Chinese T.B. Specialist lent his expert advice free of charge. A number of dependants of internees and Prisoners-of-war also received treatment in these wards. Dr. Selwyn-Clarke, who visited the wards daily, was in direct charge and his previous experience with this type of work was invaluable.

D.

CIVILIAN INTERNEES.

His work on this side commenced immediately following the cessation of hostilities and even before these persons were interned in the Chinese hotels prior to final internment at Stanley, During this short period he performed many acts of mercy to all and sundry, but these are too numerous to describe in a report of this nature.

After registration and the internment of Europeans in the Chinese hotels and elsewhere, Dr. Selwyn-Clarke, in addition to making personal daily visits, arranged for the allocation of certain Medical Department and neutral doctors to the different hotels concerned. On one occasion I accompanied him on daily visits and was able to see for myself what excellent work he was doing. His car was filled with bread and cooking utensils, etc., and these he distributed between the various hotels. I accompanied him for the purpose of taking notes of immediate requirements and it was pitiful to find how much was actually needed and how totally inadequate and unnecessary had been these temporary arrangements made by the Japanese. Somehow he managed to meet all requirements, and in some cases arrange for the sick to be removed to hospitals, and it was due to him that disease was not rampant in many of these so called hotels.

Prior to the opening of the Stanley Camp and after the Japanese finally agreed upon the place of internment, Dr. Selwyn-Clarke was called upon for advice and was taken out to the site of the intended camp. His work on the

equipping

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