Sessional_Paper_1884-1885 — Page 194

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Enclosure 1.

Report from the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 19th February, 1885.

SIR,-I have the honour to forward the Hospital Statistics for 1884, with a few remarks upon the working of the Hospital during the past year.

2. The beginning of the year found the Civil Hospital Establishment very much scattered and carrying on its work under great difficulties, in a variety of buildings, and with a staff mostly new to Hospital work.

3. The patients and part of the staff were lodged in a portion of the old female Lock Hospital, in the new female Lock Hospital, and in the old West Point school building; while the Apothecary had temporary quarters at some little distance up the hill, and the Superintendent temporary quarters still farther off.

4. The old female Lock Hospital is now, at the close of the year, partly rebuilt, and though not yet finished, is occupied by part of the patients and staff, the remainder of the patients and staff, with the exception of the Superintendent, occupying the new female Lock Hospital.

5. The Superintendent remains in the temporary quarters away from the Hospital.

6. The Superintendent's official residence adjoining the Hospital, the construction of which was ordered in March 1883, was commenced in June 1884, and though the Surveyor General reported that it would be ready for occupation in September 1884, the foundations are barely completed and the superstructure is not yet begun.

7. It is hardly necessary to remark that the completion of the Superintendent's residence will conduce,largely to the efficiency of the Establishment, and the comfort of the patients. Moreover, the Government is paying house-rent for temporary quarters, and there will be an annual saving in money on the completion of the official residence.

8. The Apothecary, Steward, and European Ward-master were all recently appointed, and were new to Hospital work at the beginning of 1884, but twelve months' experience has familiarized them with their respective duties, and the work now goes on more smoothly.

9. The clerk who was appointed to the Hospital, December 1st 1883, fresh from school, did not work satisfactorily and he has now left the service.

10. Continual trouble is experienced with the lowest class of attendants in the Hospital. They are only paid six dollars ($6) a month and have a good deal of night watching in the wards besides regular work in the day time; so it is no wonder if they are not very zealous in performing their duties and not very anxious to remain in the service. It seems hardly reasonable to expect common coolies, at six dollars a month, to nurse the sick and to sit up at night with them.

11. There are at present 98 beds in use, and the stress of the work falls upon the medical officer and the European ward-master.

12. The need of a second medical officer is daily felt in the Establishment and there should also be a second European ward-master.

13. The strain upon the medical officer is somewhat relieved by the gratuitous assistance of Dr. MARQUES, who is good enough to attend to urgent cases, when he chances to be at hand in the Superintendent's absence.

14. The calls upon the ward-master are so constant and so harassing, that there is always a risk of his going the way of his predecessors.

15. These almost without exception have succumbed to the pressure, and however promising and well recommended on joining the service, have nearly all taken to drink and dissipation.

16. The Hospital register records 1,423 cases, of which 69 were not admitted.

17. These latter, comprising 11 cases of dog bite, 2 of gun-shot wounds, I attempted drowning, and a number of contused and lacerated wounds, received the necessary attention in the surgery and were dismissed.

18. The remaining 1,354 treated in Hospital included 46 who remained at the end of 1883.

19. Of this number 486 were Police, and the remaining 868 consisted of merchant seamen, private residents, destitutes, prisoners, members of the Chinese Customs and Revenue services, and officers and seamen from foreign ships of war.

20. Two invalid soldiers were received from the French expeditionary force at Keelung.

21. The admissions from the Police were 113 fewer than in 1883.

22. Table III shows the number from each Station.

23. A number of weakly men and invalids have been discharged from the force, and the burning of the Water Police Hulk in February removed a fruitful source of disease.