TH
HE Matilda Hospital on Mt. Kellett, The Peak, has had a long and varied history. It is one of the few non-governmental hospitals in the Colony, catering to the civilian, particularly European, population, and as such has earned the highest esteem of local residents. Immedi. ately after the Japanese surrender, it was requisitioned as a Military Hos- pital and has only during this past year reverted to the original ad ministration. Since then it has been undergoing complete renovation, enlargement
and modernisation. These changes consist of, first, the re-arrangement of the old Maternity Ward, so as to provide more private rooms, and baths for each of these private rooms, secondly, of new and additional quarters for Chinese nurses, and thirdly, of the con- struction of an entirely new wing.
THE
MATILDA HOSPITAL
The front facade of the new
Chinese Nurses' Hostel.
The Matilda and War Memorial
was found
Hospital has been established through the merger of the former Matilda and the War Memorial Nursing Home. Both the former institutions suffered considerably during and immediately after the occupation of Hong Kong and it impracticable to continue the work of each separately. The damaged buildings of the War Memorial Nursing Home were sold to the Royal Navy and the proceeds were added to the joint fund with a view to establishing on the site of the Matilda Hospital a fully equipped hospital on modern lines adapted to present day conditions while retain- ing, as far as practicable, certain traditions of the former institutions.
The old Matilda Hospital, a single- storey building erected fifty years ago, was a rambling one sprawling
over an area 560 feet long and 300 feet wide. Now the main block has been remodelled with an aircond- itioned operating theatre, a laboratory and dispensary, new bathroom features and revised fenestration. It can accommodate 40 patients new road has also been built from the entrance giving access to the new wing for ambulance and cars.
A
The Maternity Block has eight private single or double rooms, each with its own verandah, bathroom and shower. Two specially equip- ped delivery rooms, fitted with dehumidifying apparatus, may be used as operating theatres when necessary. There are also a doctor's overnight room and a sterilising
room.
From a comparison of the two plans, it will be seen that the corridor of the old Maternity Building has been re-aligned to permit its conver- sion into bathrooms. The new cor-
ridor line while reducing the size of the original rooms makes possible the installation of a creche, a kitchen and utility room, in addition to the duty and treatment rooms that were
part of the former amenities.
The Chinese nurses hostel is a new three-storied building, connected by a typhoon passage covered-way to the main hospital building and also to the old sisters' quarters by means of the covered verandah passage, which runs in front of the building. The ground floor contains a large common room, in which is incorporated the dining room, with wide full length windows providing
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MATILDA HOSPITAL MATERNITY BLOCK
BEFORE ALTERATION
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CINCI
Kata Ka
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The plan of the old Maternity Hospital on the left with the second floor plan on the right showing the extensive alterations.
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