Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 183

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Appendix VII.

Minute by His Excellency the Governor.

HONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,

Circulate for Executive Council. The matter will require careful consideration. My own view is that the P. C. M. (). should have administrative control of the entire Medical Departments including Health and Port Health Officers and be relieved of the duty of Medical Officer of the Government Civil Hospital. In the enumeration of the duties, I do not think there will be much work for a Medical Officer at Kowloon that would at present occupy his whole time; but it is a rapidly growing place and it may be well to have one there. The proposal as to the plague matshed was that it should be looked after by a Chinese practitioner trained in the College of Medicine here, with a general supervision by a Government Medical Officer. I understand that the work of Kennedy Town Hospital would not take up all a Medical Officer's time and the Hygeia is no longer used as a hospital, Dr. BELL having reported that she is not required. She is therefore simply lying by as a receiving ship in case an infected vessel enters the port and has to be disinfected.

As to the question of salary, as the staff is at present approved, the Medical Staff of Hongkong costs $25,920 as against $24,000 in Singapore, and if the additional Assistant be asked for and approved, the cost of Hongkong Staff will be $29,520. Under these circumstances, I question if any increase in individual salaries would be approved. I quote from the Colonial List, but I do not know if there are other such Officers employed by the Municipality and doing work here done by the Government Medical Staff. The P. C. M. O. of Singapore has the administrative superintendence of Penang and Malacca as well as Singapore, therefore his work is more extended than that of the P. C. M. O. here.

No. 331.

20-9-01.

Appendix VIII.

H. A. B.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 21st October, 1901.

SIR,

I have the honour to report that, since I left on leave, very few patients have been admitted to the Female Venereal Wards.

Since receipt of instructions contained in the Secretary of State's Despatch No. 52 of 17th April, 1894, only those who have voluntarily attended have been treated.

It appears that, since the Captain Superintendent of Police proceeded against these people, the private practitioners have started examination rooms and hospitals for these women, and they prefer to attend there, as no certificates are issued here.

This being so, it seems useless to reserve these wards for that class of patient, especially as we are so hard pressed for room for destitute Indians and Chinese.

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