ENG-1957 — Page 172

PUBLIC HEALTH

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further guided by Health Officers of the Medical Depart- ment, who exercise statutory powers under the public health legislation. The work of the District Health Officers is directly controlled by the Senior Health Officer, who also exercises supervisory control over Medical Officers in charge of other health activities such as Maternal and Child Health Services, the School Health Service, etc.

The estimated expenditure for the financial year 1957-8 was $37,243,950. To this should be added subventions total- ling $8,041,500 to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the Mission to Lepers, Hong Kong Auxiliary, and other similar bodies. The combined estimated expenditure of the Medical Department and the medical subventions represented approximately 8% of the Colony's total estimated expenditure. Estimated capital ex- penditure for the Medical Department was $4,544,500.

The Medical Registration Ordinance, 1957, an Ordinance to repeal, and to re-enact with amendment, the Medical Registration Ordinance (Chapter 161), was passed into law on 22nd May, 1957. Under the old Ordinance unregistered doctors were prohibited from practising western medicine or surgery only if they did so for gain. Clause 27 of the new Bill, however, provided for general prohibition. The sole aim of this clause was to safeguard the public by ensuring that treatment by western methods was given only by doctors with a recognized qualification. The recognized, registrable qualifications in Hong Kong are the same as those regis- trable in the United Kingdom.

Clause 27 aroused considerable opposition, principally on the grounds that the many clinics using the services of un- registered doctors were providing a much needed service; that their patients could not afford the fees charged by regis- tered practitioners; and that the doctors concerned were com- petent enough and merely lacked a recognized qualification.

The services rendered by some of these doctors cannot be denied, but there are already many clinics, staffed by