X1000307-1946_Part01 — Page 5

I.

ADMINISTRATION.

The Medical Department formed part of the Military Administration of the Colony until the 1st of May, when the change over to civil administration took place.

In the earlier part of the year, the European personnel was largely made up of those who had spent most, if not all, of the period of Japanese occupation away from the Colony.

Later in the year, most of the staff on recuperative leave after internment arrived back in the Colony.

The department owes much to those officers who sacrificed their comfort and returned to the Colony from retirement in order to bridge the gap between the repatriation and the return of the interned staff.

In many instances, senior officers who possessed valuable local experience did not return to the Colony on health grounds and their places were filled partly by the recruitment of new officers from the United Kingdom and partly by the promotion of locally appointed officers (mostly Chinese).

With the two-fold object of giving effect to the policy of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, as outlined in the White Paper No. 197 of 1946, and to offer an inducement to the Chinese and locally appointed staff not to resign, a number of well-qualified and experienced officers were promoted to "European" posts during the year.

These included. Dr. K. C. Yeo, M.D., B.S., (H.E), D.T.M. & H. (Lond.), promoted to act as deputy director of health servicea, Dr. G. H. Thomas, O.B.E., M.D. (H.K.), promoted to the substantive post of visiting medical officer, Chinese hospitals and dispensaries, and Dr. Lai Po-chuen, 0.B.E., M.R., B.S. (H.K.), promoted to the post of school medical officer. In addition, ten senior members of the Chinese and local nursing staff were promoted to the grade of "European" sister and ten senior Chinese members of the health inspectorate to the grade of “European” health inspector.

Despite the partial implementation of this policy, the department suffered the loss of many of its most senior and experienced Chinese doctors, nurses and technical staff who found the gap between the high cost of living and their total emolumenta from all sources tog wide.

The burden upon those who loyally stayed at their posts and struggled on was exceedingly heavy and the greatest possible credit is due to all concerned,

A. Staff.

The department operated with a skeleton staff for the first half of 1946, the majority of the senior officers and nursing sisters being absent on recuperation leave following internment or on leave prior to retirement.

Very considerable assistance was received during the year from the Services. For example, the Royal Navy placed the services of an anti-malarial officer, a radio- logist and a considerable group of nursing staff at the disposal of the department.

The R.A.M.C. authorities generously lent a field officer to assist the Health Division, a psychiatrist, an anti-malarial officer, an expert in social hygiene activities, a radiologist and several medical officers.

The R.A.F. gave valuable help both in anti-malarial and in health measures, including the loan of trucks for the disposal of town refuse.

Valuable assistance was rendered by Commando Units in regard to medical work in the Leased Territories and Islands.

The department benefited on many occasions from gifts of drugs, instruments and apparatus, clothing and equipment, more particularly on account of the delay in the arrival of rehabilitation stores from the United Kingdom.

The department owes a deep debt to all ranks of the Services during à particularly difficult phase in its rehabilitation.