It is almost twenty years since Dr. J. N. Andrews arrived in Tatsienlu with the purpose of establishing a medical unit on the Tibetan border. In its infant state that unit could not boast the name of hospital; for it consisted of only a small room or two in connection with the doctor's temporary home. in these rude quarters and under such handicap began the slow growth that was to produce our mission hospital.
The process was not without its growing pains. Building and furnishing a hospital on the Chinese border is a slow and painful process. Loss of supplies and equipment in wrecked boats and at the hands of robbers contributed to the difficulties. The years have passed, but maturity has not yet been reached. The manifestations of discomfort associated with growth are still with us.
Nevertheless, we are exceedingly thankful for the progress made in the past year. The addition, a year ago, of two nurses to our meager staff has contributed largely to this progress. We are also greatly indebted to Pastor Johnson for his help in our building program. Without his supervision we would not now have the well-constructed additions to our buildings that we have so badly needed. A second-floor addition to the dispensary building has been completed, which gives us a suitable operating room and women's quarters. The old operating room, much too small for that purpose, is now used for an examining and consulting room.
Heretofore we have been compelled to receive our patients, examine them, change dressings, and give some treatments, all in the same room. Needless to say, such conditions were far from satisfactory, and prevented many patients from coming to the clinic. Since the change, the percentage of better-class patients attending has increased remarkably. The addition has also given us room for a separate hydrotherapy department and a small laboratory, neither of which we had before.
The year 1937 started unpropitiously for hospital work. Because of various misfortunes we were unable to make much headway before the middle of May. But from that time until the present the hospital has enioyed a steadily increasing patronage. The last few months have been very busy ones, taxing our capacity and the strength of our small working staff. Our two nurses must be on call day and night, with the result that they are often seriously overworked. We are looking forward to the time when Miss Gao can join us, and are hoping that others may come with her.
Last year we were open for 'business only 247 days, and our hospital was not organized on an efficient basis to care for inpatients. We were able, however, to take care of a large number of cases. Following is a report of the laboratory work done in the last eight months: total laboratory procedures, 326; Kahn tests, 126; blood examinations, 31; G.C., 6o. The remaining 109 tests included sputum examinations, smears for leprosy and malaria, and other examinations.
This is far too little laboratory work, but at present we do not have staff enough to do more. Mr. Kung has cared for this department in addition to his hospital work, both of which are full-time jobs.
The outpatient department registered 2,297 new patients. There were 5,892 return visits, or a total of 8,189 patient visits. This makes an average of 31.1 clinic patients daily. If attendance continues this year as it has these first few months, we shall far outstrip the work done last year. At the time of writing, the hospital is full and the dispensary attendance is averaging better than it did last year.
We are also greatly cheered by the number of Tibetans who come to us. Almost one half of the patients in the hospital are Tibetans, and they are coming to us in ever-increasing numbers. The outpatient list is over half Tibetan. These people arrive from all over Sikang, most of them coming expressly for medical attention.
Every medical itinerating trip into the grasslands results in a very decided increase in Tibetan patients. This was also the case in the experience of Doctor Andrews, who at one time expressed the opinion that the itinerating work was more important than the work at Tatsienlu. In the light of these observations, we are shaping our plans for the future toward providing medical care for these people in the interior of Sikang.
The following basic plan seems to promise success: 1. The opening of a number of small dispensaries at various strategic points through the province, these units to be in charge of the evangelistic nurses qualified to treat minor ailments and to meet emergencies; all serious cases and those requiring surgical measures to be referred to the base hospital at Tatsienlu. 2. Regular visits made two or three times a year to these dispensaries by the medical man from the base hospital, to assure close liaison between outstations and the base. Minor surgical cases and the like could be taken care of at the time of these visits.
Numerous requests have come to us asking that we open medical work in various districts. I am firmly convinced that in widespread medical evangelism lies the solution to the problem of finishing the work among the Tibetan peoples.—China Division Reporter, July, 1938.
