Tung Wah Hospital
Encyclopedia
Tung Wah Hospital is a hospital in Hong Kong
under the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
. Located above Possession Point
, at 12 Po Yan Street in Sheung Wan
, it is the first hospital established in Colonial Hong Kong for the general public in the 1870s.
Registrar General
saw an indiscriminate mix of the dead and dying cuddled together in the nearby Kwong Fook I-tsz, a small temple built at Tai Ping Shan Street
. The large number of deaths were in part due to the arrival of the upcoming Third Pandemic
of bubonic plague
from China
. Though it was not declared an official establishment until 1872. The hospital was subsidized by the government at a price of HKD
45,000 along with HKD 15,000 in land grant. The grand opening on February 14, 1872 was considered the grandest ever witnessed in Colonial Hong Kong. A lot of cultural prejudice did exist at the time, such as Chinese citizens not trusting western medicine and other practices such as surgery
. Many Chinese would rather die than be submitted into a western clinic. The government subsequently enacted Ordinance No. 38 known as "1911 Expansion of Tung Wah Hospital Ordinance" in 1911 to deal with the population growth of Kowloon
and the New Territories
in conjunction with Kwong Wah Hospital
.
, while the University of Hong Kong provide clinical attachment opportunities for its medical students.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
under the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals , with a long history from 1870, is the oldest and the largest charitable organisation in Hong Kong. Their education Services and Community Services to the community with a total of 194 service centres spreading over the territory of Hong Kong.Although it appears a...
. Located above Possession Point
Possession Point
Possession Point is a former point of land on the northwestern coast of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, before land reclamation moved the coast further north.- History :...
, at 12 Po Yan Street in Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District...
, it is the first hospital established in Colonial Hong Kong for the general public in the 1870s.
History
The hospital was declared for construction on March 26, 1870 under the "Tung Wah Hospital Incorporation Ordinance". The push for the construction of the facility began when the British Colony'sBritish overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
Registrar General
Registrar General
General Register Office, in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and many Commonwealth nations, is the government agency responsible for civil registration - the recording of vital records such as births, deaths, and marriages...
saw an indiscriminate mix of the dead and dying cuddled together in the nearby Kwong Fook I-tsz, a small temple built at Tai Ping Shan Street
Tai Ping Shan Street
Tai Ping Shan Street is a street marking the early colonial history in Hong Kong. Located at the north slope of Victoria Peak in Sheung Wan, the street starts east from a ladder street at the junction with Bridges Street and end west in Po Yan Street near Tung Wah Hospital...
. The large number of deaths were in part due to the arrival of the upcoming Third Pandemic
Third Pandemic
Third Pandemic is the designation of a major Bubonic plague pandemic that began in the Yunnan province in China in 1855. This episode of bubonic plague spread to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killed more than 12 million people in India and China alone...
of bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Though it was not declared an official establishment until 1872. The hospital was subsidized by the government at a price of HKD
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
45,000 along with HKD 15,000 in land grant. The grand opening on February 14, 1872 was considered the grandest ever witnessed in Colonial Hong Kong. A lot of cultural prejudice did exist at the time, such as Chinese citizens not trusting western medicine and other practices such as surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. Many Chinese would rather die than be submitted into a western clinic. The government subsequently enacted Ordinance No. 38 known as "1911 Expansion of Tung Wah Hospital Ordinance" in 1911 to deal with the population growth of Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
and the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
in conjunction with Kwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital is a major hospital in South Kowloon of Hong Kong. It is located at Waterloo Road in Yau Ma Tei.The former Main Hall Building of Kwong Wah Hospital is preserved and houses the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Museum.-History:...
.
Background
With 633 beds, including 494 for in-patients, 93 for day patients and 46 rehabilitation day places, it is the second largest general hospital in Hong Kong West Cluster. The Main Block of Tung Wah Hospital is graded as Grade III historic building. It is affiliated with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineLi Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong is the older of the two medical schools in Hong Kong , and is among the oldest in the Far East.-History:...
, while the University of Hong Kong provide clinical attachment opportunities for its medical students.