CO129-618-4 University of Hong Kong- conversion of Tung Wah Eastern Hospital into a teaching hospital 17-2-1949 - 27-9-1949 — Page 31

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this idea. The other alternative would appear to lie in seeking a joint arrangement by which one of the large general hospitals in the Colony might be developed into a Teaching Hospital, thus materially supplementing the facilities which already exist in the Queen Mary Hospital. The history of the large Teaching Hospitals in London is of interest in this respect. The older ones among them begain in mediaeval times as purely charitable foundations. After a time the medical students of the day came to serve their apprenticeships in them and still later, as Medical Colleges sprang up in association with them, the hospitals became centres of organised clinical teaching, such as those of St. Bartholomew's, Guy's, and The London. The whole development took place as a steady expansion with a resulting improvement in the standard of medical care provided for the community as a whole, which benefitted both rich and poor alike, but always with a feeling of special responsibility for the poor, today these hospitals, with their attached Medical Colleges, are among the leading medical institutions of Great Britain, with a world-wide reputation for medical research and progress. The organisation and administration of these hospitals provide a not able illustration of the way in which it is possible for the Hospital Committee, the Medical School authorities and the Nursing School authorities to work harmoniously together for the common good. The result is beneficial to a very wide circle of persons to the throngs of people who come daily to the hospital for the best advice and treatment, to the students who gain an unrivalled experience by working in such a hospital, and to the nurses, midwives, physio-therapists and technicians who receive the finest type of training and then pass on to other parts of the country where their services are needed.

After a period of consideration our thoughts turned to the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital as being ideally situated and constructed to fulfil such a purpose for the Colony of Hong Kong. An approach was made to the Advisory Board and the Directors of the Tung Wah Hospital at a joint meeting held in the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs on Friday, 19th December 1947, and at this meeting the proposal was made that the Tung Wah Hospital authorities, in close co-operation with the University of Hong Kong and the Government, should develop the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital into a teaching hospital of high order. It was pointed out that, if such an arrangement could be worked out, the much needed increase in clinical teaching facilities would be forthcoming and the provision for all branches of the medical needs of the poorer section of the populace would be very greatly ariched. In achieving these two desirable ends it was felt that the University and the Tung Wah authorities should be capable of a joint effort in meeting what was really a public need. It was unanimously agreed, after careful discussion, "that the proposal of the Hong Kong University Authorities to use the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital for the training of medical students be accepted in principle and that the discussion of details of the scheme be left to the Medical Committee of the Tung Wah Hospitals and the University Authorities". We are now confronted with the problem of working out the details of such changes, both structural and administrative, as would be necessary to convert the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital from its present status into a smoothly functioning teaching hospital, under terms, of course, which would be acceptable to each of the parties involved.

Careful consideration has been given by the University to the nature of the changes required, and, in the main, they include:-

(a)

(b)

The addition of a further storey to the whole hospital building in order to provide a lecture room and quarters for the Medical staff and Interns. This would release space in the present hospital building now occupied by medical officers.

The building of adequate quarters to house the male and female servants of the Hospital who at present live in the basement. This would release the whole of the basement for Out-Patient use and other purposes.