opened in phases starting late in 1974. Every attempt has been made to ensure that both the buildings and equipment conform to modern ideas and standards. But in a project of this magnitude, which will have taken some eight years to reach fruition, during which period there have been impressive improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, some shortcomings are inevitable. These should still be minimal, and it is hoped that the new complex will form a hospital of which the Colony will be proud.
190. Detailed planning on the second mental hospital, which will form part of the Princess Margaret Hospital complex, is now under- way and work on the equipment schedules and other maintenance and administrative aspects has started.
191. Staff welfare continued to improve with the appointment of a full time Staff Welfare Officer.
192. A considerable degree of assistance was rendered to various subsidized hospitals in regard to equipment and detailed planning of new projects, in particular to the Yan Chai and the United Christian hospitals which are due to open soon.
AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE
193. The Auxiliary Medical Service consists of more than 6,000 young men and women, of whom at least 2,000 are under 24. The service continued to expand during the year, and there was always a long list of recruits waiting to be trained. Members augment Hong Kong's medical, ambulance and rescue services during any emergency. 194. Approximately 3,500 officers and members are in the ambu- lance depot teams, which are dispersed, with their stores, throughout The urban areas, the New Territories and outlying islands. These terms are affiliated to the nearest fire stations, and members carry out duties as drivers and crews of ambulances at weekends and on public holidays. They are also trained in light rescue and life-saving. There are more than 600 trained life-savers-men and women-who also carry out regular life-guard duties on the beaches and in public swimming pools during weekends and on public holidays.
195. Officers and members assigned for emergency duties in hospi- tals carry out annual training for a week in one of the major hospitals. Others are trained as inoculators, dental surgery assistants, and for work with the chest service.
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196. All trained members carried out operational duties during the year. Members attended at scenes of all major fires to help care for the injured and homeless, and stood by to assist whenever typhoons threatened.
197. Members manned weekend sessions of the Medical Examina- tion Board set up since mid-December 1972 in response to a mass recruitment campaign for auxiliary police. This has helped considerably to speed up the recruitment procedure of the campaign. The weekend sessions were continued for other defence units after the auxiliary police campaign was over.
198. The band of the AMS performed on many occasions in public parks, at departmental functions, and gave Christmas concerts at various hospitals.
REGISTRATION OF MEDICAL CLINICS
199. In accordance with the Medical Clinics Ordinance, all clinics are required to be re-registered annually. On 31st March, 1973, there were 75 registered static clinics, three registered mobile clinics in the charge of registered medical practitioners, and 344 clinics registered with exemption, making a total of 422.
200. The low cost medical care scheme, aimed at providing general practitoner services to the population residing in all housing estates, continued to operate. Eighty-five registered medical practitioners took part in the scheme in resettlement estates, and 27 in housing estates. In addition, 36 of the 344 clinics registered with exemption under the Medical Clinics Ordinance (para. 159) also operated under the scheme.
V. GOVERNMENT-ASSISTED HOSPITALS
201. Financial assistance, mainly by means of an annual subven- tion, is given by the Government to certain voluntary organizations maintaining hospitals in Hong Kong. Such hospitals, containing a total of 7,621 beds, provide mainly non-acute general beds, or facilities for persons suffering from certain specific diseases, or handicaps. The total government subvention to these hospitals during the year was $98,704,432 recurrent, and $10,272,687 special expenditure.
THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS
202. The Tung Wah group of hospitals is a long-established Chinese charitable organization, managed by a board of directors elected
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