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Queen Mary and Kowloon Hospitals; the laboratory work in connexion with blood donations was undertaken by the Government Institute of Pathology.

431. The year was a record one for the British Red Cross Society's Blood Bank where donations of blood received exceeded by some 700 pints the total for 1960. Although the greater part of the blood again came from members of the Armed Services or from visiting Royal Navy and United States warships, there was a marked increase in blood donations from the Chinese residents and the Donors Club under the guidance of the Chairman of the Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society continued to expand its activities. In addition a con- siderable amount of blood is donated direct to the Blood Banks by relatives of patients in the various hospitals. The sources and distribu- tion of blood received by the Blood Banks are detailed in Tables 39 and 40.

TABLE 39

SOURCES OF BLOOD DONATED 1961

British Red Cross Society Patients' Relatives and Friends Other sources

8,345 pints 570 pints 138 pints

TABLE 40

DISTRIBUTION OF ALOOD 1961

Government Hospitals

Government-Assisted Hospitals

6.448 pints 1,934 pints

Private Hospitals

267 pints 4 piots

Manufacture of Plasma

168 pints

393 pints

Military Hospitals

Per

Unusable due to various causes

432. Despite this encouraging increase, there is still a serious shortage of blood if all demands are to be met. The supply was barely adequate to meet the emergency needs of the acute hospitals and much elective surgery had to be postponed for varying periods for lack of blood. Unless the situation improves greatly in 1963 when many more acute beds will come into use there will be a very grave shortage of this essential to modern therapy. Much propaganda is being directed by the British Red Cross Society towards a significant increase in the number of Chinese donors as the Armed Services and visitor sources cannot be regarded as other than an evanescent source of supply. The people of Hong Kong owe a great debt of gratitude to those donors

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who are only temporarily resident in the Colony and who give blood which goes to the Chinese residents of the Colony.

HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLY

433. This activity of the Department is the responsibility of the Chief Hospital Secretary, assisted by a staff of Senior Hospital Secre- taries, Hospital Secretaries and Assistant Hospital Secretaries. There are two group Hospital Secretaries, one at the Queen Mary Hospital and the other at Kowloon Hospital, who are responsible for the routine supply and lay administration of the medical institutions on their respective sides of the harbour. In addition, one Senior Hospital Secretary is working in the Planning Unit at Headquarters and another is stationed at the Castle Peak Hospital. Assistant Hospital Secretaries are posted to major institutions within the two main groups.

434. The function of this branch is the maintenance of the routine administrative work in the hospitals and clinics. This includes the supply of fuel, rations and medical and surgical equipment, the main- tenance of equipment and furniture, the recruitment and discipline of all male medial staff, the maintenance of transport and the initiation of repair work to the fabric of buildings. The Chief Hospital Secretary is also the Departmental Welfare Officer and the UN1C.E,F. Liaison Officer,

435. The Hospital Services Section was formed during the year. It is responsible for the day to day running and maintenance of the steam and engineering services in the major institutions and is under the con- trol of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch of the Public Works Department.

Staff Welfare

436. The Medical and Health Department Staff Welfare Association and its branches in Kowloon and Castle Peak, provide staff recreation centres in the Queen Mary, Kowloon and Castle Peak Hospitals and the Association continues to support a number of welfare schemes to aid the families of members or of pensioners.

437. In the Jockey Club Clinic, Sai Ying Pun, the staff canteen and light refreshment kiosk for outpatients continued to be administered by the Association.

438. Staff relations continued to be good and there were very few cases requiring disciplinary action in relation to the size of the staff concerned.

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