322. In the meantime the Mental Hospital in Hong Kong is housed in two very old and unsuitable buildings situated in a densely populated part of the City. It was originally designed to accommodate 140 patients but the daily average bed occupancy during the year was 232.98 males and 191.93 females.
323. The Mental Hospital service, which is under the direction of the Psychiatric Specialist, has a staff of four Medical Officers one of whom is a Woman Medical Officer. Despite the unfavourable conditions, unavoidable in overcrowded wards in old buildings, the most modern treatment is available within the Hospital. In addition, out-patient sessions are held regularly and have proved to be not only popular, but also successful in limiting the number of admissions to the wards. Admissions during the year totalled 1,307 of which 407 were re- admissions. 1,071 patients were discharged and there were 37 deaths. Infections Diseases Hospitals
324. Mention has been made carlier of the infectious diseases portion of the Lai Chi Kok Hospital in Kowloon. On Hong Kong Island there is the Sai Ying Pun Hospital, which is one of the remaining parts of the old Government Civil Hospital and has a nominal bed strength of 88 beds. Although the number of patients treated in the Hospital is considerably in excess of the accommodation planned. the results compared very favourably with those achieved under optimum conditions elsewhere. The Medical Officer in charge is part-time Lecturer in Infectious Diseases at the University and gives clinical instruction within the Hospital to medical students on the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.
325. The most common diseases under treatment during the year were diphtheria, typhoid fever, bacillary dysentery and measles and there were 1,617 admissions with 146 deaths. There was a marked increase in the number of admissions due to poliomyelitis and 87 cases were admitted as compared with 13 in the previous year. There were 134 cases of typhoid fever admitted with 2 deaths, a case mortality of 1.5%.
326. Associated with this Hospital is the Sai Ying Pun Out-patient Clinic which caters for the general out-patient needs in this densely populated section of the city. Under the direction of the Medical Officer in charge of the Hospital, this Clinic is one of the three busiest institu- tions in the Colony. It serves as the out-patient teaching centre for medical students who attend clinic sessions conducted by the heads of
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the University Clinical Units. During the year the total attendances amounted to 232,760.
327. This very busy Clinic has transferred its quarters to the old Tsan Yuk Hospital pending the construction of the new nine-storey Polyclinic. This new building will provide, in addition to the general and specialized out-patient services, a Chest Clinic. The top two floors of the building will become the new Government Institute of Pathology. the present lastitute being situated in an old building now far too small for the amount of work that has to be undertaken,
St. John Hospital
328. This Hospital on Cheung Chau Island is the property of the St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade but it is now staffed and maintained by Government. It serves not only the island population of 30,000 persons but also the neighbouring islands, which are visited periodically by launch from Cheung Chau. In the Hospital there are 58 general, maternity and children's beds and 42 beds for the accom- modation of convalescent cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. There are. as yet, no facilities for major surgery on the Island and patients requiring such treatment are removed to the Queen Mary Hospital. There were 2,212 admissions during the year with 63 deaths. In the maternity section there were 587 deliveries. The total attendances at the Out-patient Department of the Hospital amounted 73,114.
Prisons Hospitals
329. At the Stanley male prison there is a hospital of 82 beds for the treatment of certain categories of illness. Patients requiring major surgery, or investigation and medical treatment of any specialized nature, are transferred temporarily to the custodial wards at the Queen Mary and Kowloon Hospitals. The majority of patients in the Stanley Prison Hospital are under treatment for tuberculosis or for the effects of drug addiction.
330. The treatment of drug addiction among convicted prisoners forms a major part of the work of the Prison Medical Officers and medical treatment is given in the prisons hospital wards during the period of withdrawal. Thereafter rehabilitation is effected through routine occupation in the prisons workshops. A specialized prison for the treatment and rehabilitation of convicted male drug addicts was opened at Tai Lam Chung during the latter part of the year. After treatment for withdrawal symptoms, given in the Victoria Remand
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