Sessional_Paper_1892 — Page 424

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Enclosure 1.

Report from the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 11th April, 1892.

SIR, I have the honour to forward you my Annual Report for the year 1891 with the Hospital Statistics.

L-THE HOSPITAL BUILDINGS.

1. The Main portion of this Hospital has remained unaltered.

2. A covered way has been constructed connecting the New Wing with the rest of the Hospital increasing the convenience of the communication between the buildings.

3. The New Barracks for the Chinese attendants have been completed and are now occupied. These provide accommodation for the whole of the Chinese attendants.

On the completion of this building, the old quarters were removed. Since the occupancy of these New Barracks it is satisfactory to record a marked improvement in the health of the Chinese staff which now appears to be satisfactorily accommodated.

4. The increased Office and Store accommodation still remains to be done. In connection with this it has been decided that it is desirable to increase the accommodation for private paying patients. Plans and estimates have been prepared, and provision has been made to defray the cost of the same in the Estimates for this year.

A complete system for the distribution of hot water throughout the Main building and the New Wing has been completed and meets a long needed want. Hot water being available on every floor at all hours of the day considerably facilitates internal management,

The question of improved laundry accommodation still remains undecided, it being hoped that the New Public Laundries recently constructed by the Colonial Government will have the desired effect of improving the hitherto very unsatisfactory methods of conducting laundry operations by the native washermen.

5. The number of private paying patients has been.maintained in the case of the first and second classes as the following statistics will show :-

1888.

1889.

1890.

1891.

First Class patients,

6.

17.

38.

39.

Second Class patients, .........12.

32.

162.

156.

In the third class I have to record a diminution, the total number of private paying patients in 1891 being 464 as compared with 313 in 1888, 402 in 1889, and 527 in 1890.

The necessity for the increased accommodation above referred to (paragraph 4) requires early attention. It is, however, hoped that, now the project has assumed a definite shape, I shall be able before long to report its completion and the consequent improved means at our disposal for meeting this public requirement especially important in a Colony situated as this is.

The temporary arrangements referred to in my last Report have during the year continued. to be used no other means being available, though I regret to say that my experience during the past year does not enable me to view it in a more satisfactory light than I did at the date of my last Report.

6. The continued increased accumulation of Chinese dwellings in the neighbourhood of the Hospital and the possible extension of building operations in the vicinity renders it more desirable than ever that some steps should be taken not only to close the Hospital Road to traffic between the hour of 8 P.M. and 8 A.M., but also existing regulations should be more stringently enforced to prevent a continuance of unnecessary disturbance in the streets adjoining the Hospital in the early hours of the morning.

II.-SMALL-POX HOSPITAL,

7. The temporary Small-Pox buildings have been maintained.

8. The Hospital ship Hygeia was taken to her moorings to the North of Stone Cutters' Island on 4th May, but was not occupied except by caretakers until September 30th when the S.S. Bellerophon arrived in the harbour with six cases of Small-Pox on board. These were at once

removed to the Hygeia and arrangements made for their medical treatment.

The Hygeia was required on one other occasion, the S.S. Peshawur arriving on 26th October with one case of Small-Pox on board.