Hong Kong Snapshot (82) Hospital Road - Prostitutes, First group of Chinese entering hospital 香港隨拍 (82) 醫院道 – 原來妓女是香港第一批接受西方醫院服務的華人

Hi All! HK Snapshot is back! Few days ago, I was sick and saw the doctor in a hospital. It gave me the idea of introducing the story of hospitals in HK to you. The topic today is interesting: first group of Chinese enjoying the hospital service.

大家好，香港隨拍又來了！早幾天因為生病了，到了醫院看醫生，突然就想為大家介紹一下香港的醫院故事，故今天給了大家一個有趣的主題，就是最早享有醫院服務的華人！

Looking back to the history of medicine in HK, I found something interesting. You know? The first group of Chinese enjoying the service of hospitals is prostitute. Time back to 1842. The British colonized HK and many of them were not used to the climate of HK and died. So HK built the Government Civil Hospital – the first official hospital of Hong Kong. As the medical fee was very high and Chinese didn’t trust western medicine, the Government Civil Hospital only served the western.

回顧香港醫療史，我發現了一些很有趣的東西：原來，香港最早能享有醫院服務的華人，竟是妓女。話說1842年，英國人統治香港，但很多英國人因水土不服而在香港去世，有見及此，香港政府興建了香港第一間正式醫院 – 國家醫院，由於醫院收費昂貴，加上華人普遍不懂西醫，故國家醫院其實就只為外國人服務。

At the Stanley Military Cemetery, we may see tombs of the soldier in 1842
今天在赤柱軍人墳場，仍能見到1842離世的軍人墓碑
(photo from Wikipedia)

In 1855, the British found another problem. The venereal diseases. The source of the diseases was from prostitute. To solve the problem (or it’s great chance of business?), the HK Government built the Lock Hospital - first venereal hospital to provide treatment to prostitutes and their clients. At the same time, the Government announced that all prostitutes were required to have body check once a year the get the license. Of course, the fee was paid by the prostitutes themselves. If prostitutes were found to be infected, they were required to stay at the hospital. It’s the meaning of the word “Lock”. The regulation gave the HK Government lot of income. Also, many infected prostitutes just didn’t go to body check and work as private prostitute. The problem of venereal disease just became worse in HK.

直到1855年，英國人發現了另一個問題，香港很多人有性病！而性病的來源就是妓女！不知是因為發現商機還是想解決問題，香港政府興趣了性病醫院，為妓女及患上性病的男性治療性病，同時，政府亦規定了妓女必須每年到性病醫院檢查，當然，檢查費是妓女付的。如沒有去檢查，妓女就不獲發牌，如發現染上性病，更會把妓女關起來治療。這個規定讓香港政府得到不少收入，同時，很多患上性病的妓女因不敢去性病醫院檢查，故偷偷摸摸的做了私妓，令性病問題一直沒有改善。而「驗明正身」的妓女，就從此身價大升。

HK prostitutes at the 1920s. 當年的香港妓女

The HK government earned so much from it. But the British Government was angry for that and thought it’s immoral. They wanted to stop it. Chance came! In 1879, the venereal hospital just expanded to 4 floors. At the same time, the old Government civil Hospital was destroyed by fire. And they just took the new venereal hospital as their new site. The venereal hospital became only a department of the Government Civil Hospital.

有趣的是，香港政府賺妓女的錢時，英國政府卻認為這錢賺不得，更有辱國體， 它們一直找機會想廢除香港的娼妓制度，卻真的給他們找到了機會！性病醫院生意很好，很快就需要擴建，新院舍樓高四層，在1879年建成，但同時，國家醫院因遇到火災被損毀，他們便把國家醫院搬到性病醫院的新院舍，性病醫院卻變成了國家醫院的其中一個部門。

The Government Civil Hospital in 1910s. (photo from HKMemory)

Today, the Government Civil Hospital had finished it mission. It is now rebuilt as Tsan Yuk Hospital, The Prince Philip Dental Hospital, and the Sai Ying Pun Jockey Club Polyclinic. Actually I had brought you the this place a few months ago. Next to the Tsan Yuk Hospital, it is the King George V Memorial Park. Link of the old post: https://steemit.com/cn/@aaronli/hong-kong-snapshot-23-with-video-sai-wan-not-introduced-in-travel-guide-fusion-of-new-and-old-chinese-and-british-1-23-1

今天國家醫院已完成它的使命，現址改建成贊育醫院、菲臘牙科醫院，及西營盤賽馬會分科診所，其實，我在數個月前已帶大家來過這裡了，贊育醫院的對面，就是英皇佐治五世公園，傳送門在此：https://steemit.com/cn/@aaronli/hong-kong-snapshot-23-with-video-sai-wan-not-introduced-in-travel-guide-fusion-of-new-and-old-chinese-and-british-1-23-1

King George V Memorial Park 英皇佐治五世公園

Tsan Yuk Hospital 贊育醫院

The Prince Philip Dental Hospital 菲臘牙科醫院

Due to the number of hospitals, as well as the relation with the first official hospital of HK, this road is called the “Hospital Road”.

由於這裡醫院眾多，更是香港政府第一家醫院曾經的所在地，故這條街道叫做「醫院道」。

Actually the road is beautiful 其實醫院道真的挺美

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Not far away from the Hospital Road, there is a hospital. It is the first Chinese Hospital of HK. Let us talk about it next time.

在距離醫院道不遠的地方，也有一家醫院，它是香港第一所華人興建的醫院，下一回，讓我們談談這家醫院。

!steemitworldmap 22.2863606 lat 114.1440567 long d3scr

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Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！