Health > Collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the National Government of the Republic of China

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There must also be considered the return traffic, which is a constant one, though t
annual number returning is from half to three-quarters of the outward figure.
At southern ports, there is a medical inspection of emigrants prior to departure,
and vaccination is performed. Unfortunately, this vaccination does not relieve the emi¬
grants of the necessitv of undergoing the operation again on arrival at their destination,
unless there is an obviously successful result. The outward medical inspection and vac¬
cination is carried out at the instigation and expense of the shipping companies except
in the case of emigrants to Manila, whose examination and vaccination is carried oi t y
a medical representative of the United States Public Health Service. tries to
These measures are not controlled by the quarantine service, and the countries to
which emigrants are proceeding have no understanding with the service m regard to the
Conditions under which it is performed, nor of the standard of health required for success¬
ful acceptance (This subject is referred to in more detail in the special report on Amoy.)
The Convento draws attention, in Article 21, to the necessity for submittmg
emigrants to a medical examination prior to then departute, and recommends special
arrangements between countries of emigration, of transit and of immigration m regard
to conditions of examination and measures of prophylaxis The fu.rt^f f
is made that towns or ports of embarkation for emigrants should be provided with an
adequate health and sanitary administration and, in particular.
(1) A service for medical examination and treatment as well as the necessaiy
sanitary and prophylactic equipment;
(2) An establishment supervised by the State, where emigrants may be sub-
iected to health formalities, be housed temporarily, undergo all necessary medical
examinations and have their food and drinking supplies examined;
(3) Premises situated at the port where medical examinations at the actual
time of embarkation may be made.
In addition, it is recommended that emigrant ships should be provided with a
sufficient quantity of vaccines (anti-smallpox, anti-cholera, etc.) in order to permit,
necessary, of vaccinations during the voyage.
3 The Possibility of co-ordinating the Quarantine Service
with Existing Shore Health Services.
The existing public health administration of the country is now centralized in the
Ministry of Heatth which, as constituted, comprises five administrative divisions, one
of whkhTs the Department of Epidemiology. The third division of this department
is concerned with the prevention of epidemics and with quarantine, but has not bee
concerned with the actual administration of any of the existing quarantine services.
The Ministry is directly concerned with administration of public health m the seven
soecial municipalities, which include Shanghai and Canton. But, whereas m Canto
the whole publiT health service is under the control of the special municipality, m Shanghai
there are ^in addition to the health department of Greater Shanghai (which is under
Chinese administration), the well-established public health services of the Shanghai
municipal council (International Settlement) and of the French concession.
It should not be a very difficult task to arrange, however, for a large measure of
co-operation between the quarantine service m Shanghai and the health departments
of the three municipalities in regard to matters of mutual interest. T e.