Recommendations are made elsewhere concerning the provision of accommodation for special purposes. Here, I will only say that it is desirable that infectious disease cases off ships or aircraft should not be brought into the heart of the Colony for hospitalization, and that some improvement in the care and welfare of lepers found in the Colony should be instituted, It would be a good thing not only from the individual leper's point of view, but also from a political standpoint. to ensure the best possible treatment while under detention in the Colony.
The practice at present is for lepers found in the Colony to be detained temporarily and, as soon as possible, sent to the settlement at Shek Lung in Kwangtung for care and treatment, which is paid for by the Colony.
This, doubtless, is a wise procedure because the establishment of an up-to-date Leper Settlement in the Colony would almost certainly attract lepers from outside and the Colony would be saddled with responsibilities for which it was not liable and which it could not estimate or control..
There is one Mental Hospital for the whole Colony in a rather congested area of Victoria; there are 108 beds divided between male and female cases. Unless mental cases have a birth qualification they are transferred to Canton under arrangements between the respective governments; the charges for their care are met by the Hong Kong Government. About seventy Hong Kong patients are usually accommodated at the hospital. The building is about twenty seven years old and outdoor exercise depends on the courtyards provided. There is no provision for industrial occupational therapy. This hospital should undoubtedly be transferred to a better site, (it at at present on a hill-slope), where land would be available for agricultural pursuits and for providing facilities for industrial occupation and rehabilitation, leading to better chances of recovery.
The Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital is immediately under a Chinese matron and Lieutenant Colonel Gordon King is consultant. Obviously he takes a great pride in it and conditions in the hospital are excellent. It deals with some 4,000 cases annually, and forms a teaching school with resident physician and two student s resident at a time. There are ten pupil midwives always in training and there are six sisters with two matrons in nursing charge: The term "nursing sister" in Hong Kong is used to denote a grade; this is unlike the position in many Colonies. There is no provision for cases requiring isolation and Colonel Gordon King hopes to secure a bombed site on Crown Land adjacent and build an isolation block there. He would like to have all maternity cases dealt with in hospital, for the reason. that it is quite impracticable to conduct confinement's in the ordinary tenement building. The hospital was built in 1922. There is other maternity hospital accommodation under Government and Chinese control.. But the Tsan Yuk Hospital is the main 'maternity and teaching centre for the Colony.
The patients in The Tung Wah
I visited several Chinese endowed hospitals and dispensaries. the se hospitals have the benefit of treatment by Western methods. Eastern Hospital is a fine modern institution with an entirely Chinese staff.
The Commando's have established their own medical huts in more isolated places and Chinese patients are freely allowed to attend for treatment. In some places they have hospitals where there is the same freedom of admission and one of the most delightful experiences on going round the Colony is to suddenly alight on one of these treatment centres, and to see how completely the Commandos have won the confidence and friendship of the Chinese population, especially the children. They are first rate ambassadors for Great Britain.
5.
URBAN AND RURAL SERVICES
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It is impossible to discuss any one aspect of Medical affairs in the Colony without touching on other relevant aspects. One of the main issues is the control of the Victoria urban area. The position hitherto is described in the Wellington Review. The question now is to decide whether any modification of the pre-war system is desirable or expedient. The existing plan leaves the Urban Council largely an advisory body but there has been, for a long time, pressure for a more autonomous control of the urban area, In many instances such autonomy, subject to general reference to Government on matters of policy and finance, would be justified.` But Hong Kong is in a special and peculiar position of responsibility to both its 42878-1
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