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Colonel HUGHES.—The questions of house sanitation all go to Dr. CLARK?
Dr. ATKINSON.—Yes, excepting that the Government consult the Principal Civil Medical Officer on all Health matters, he is the Medical Adviser to the Government.
Colonel HUGHES.-If you had control of everything, sanitation and everything else, and were responsible for the whole Colony, you would have a lot to do. Now you only have the administration of the Hospital, and no outside work.
Dr. ATKINSON.As Principal Civil Medical Officer that is so, but I think it would be better were the Sanitary Department made a Sub-department of the Medical Depart-
ment.
The Chairman. I suppose all candidates for Government service have to be medi- cally examined ?
Dr. ATKINSON.---The Police are all medically examined before joining.
Colonel HUGHES.-Who looks after the Police ?
Dr. ATKINSON.-The Government Medical Officers.
The Chairman.-Outside who looks after them?
Dr. ATKINSON.—The Medical Officer who attends subordinate officials.
Dr. STEDMAN. That is to say if they are able to go as out-patients to the Hospital they do so and if they are not and are sufficiently sick they either come into hospital or are visited by a Medical Officer at their homes?
Dr. ATKINSON.-Very often they are treated at their own houses,
Colonel HUGHES.-Do you have to go to No. 2 Police Station ?
Dr. ATKINSON.—Yes, one of the Medical Officers may have to attend there.
Colonel HUGHES.--Attend Policemen and their families f
Dr. ATKINSON,-Yes.
Dr. STEDMAN. Are there 450 subordinate Government Officials?
Dr. ATKINSON.-That was the number in the last return we had, but I will ascer- tain the exact number, our last return of such officers is not up to date.
Dr. STEDMAN.-You attend all the Sanitary Inspectors, Road Surveyors, and all that class of men?
Dr. ATKINSON.-Yes, one of the Medical Officers does.
Colonel HUGHES.-The Medical Officer of Health has to do that?
Dr. ATKINSON.-No, he does not attend them.
The Chairman.-If there is a serious accident do you have to go out to it?
Dr. ATKINSON.-One of the Medical Officers has if the patient is too ill to come to Hospital.
Colonel HUGHES.—Supposing a man malingered, and your Medical Officer of Health said so, or vice versa, there might be friction?
Dr. STEDMAN-I think Dr. ATKINSON would be wholly supreme. If he decided he was malingering it is a case of malingering. If you imagine another case where Dr. CLARK said the Government Civil Hospital was deficient as to drainage and Dr. ATKINSON said it was all right, I should say Dr. CLARK was supreme, as it would be a sanitary matter.
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