Emergency Service Shortly to Be Organized Thirteen was not an unlucky number for the delegates who attended the 'Thirteenth Bi-ential Conference of the Nurses' Association of China at Nanking from September 30 to October 7. "The conference proved to be the most successful of any held so far, and the number of delegates, 300, was the largest attendance since' the conference was inaugurated. Shanghai had its full quota of representatives, several being sent from each hospital. From the Lester Chinese Hospital, four delegates were sent. They comprised two foreignfers, the Misses A. Sharpe, matron of the hospital, and E, Taylor, and two Chinese students, Miss K. F. Zi and Miss P. T, Sung.
On arrival in Nanking, the delegates were given an official welcome, the mayor sending a representative, ud among those who patronized the conference were Dr. P. Z. King, director of the medical service of the National Health Administration, and Gen, Chang Chih-kiang, president of the National Physical Culture Institute, In a welcoming speech to the delegates, Dr. P. 2. King said that the "Chinese medical profession had common interest in secking a method for increasing the efflelency of medical practice in this country. There were two main obstructions to the progress of medicine in China, the lack of a unifying plan for medical work on the part of the Fovernment, and the lack of a proper attitude towards modern medicine on the part of the medical profession, 'A. system of stale medicine had been introduced with the idea solving these problems. By state medicine was meant "a plan for medical reconstruction through an organized effort on the part of the Government to protect the health of the members of the Chinese nation. The same system had been practised in Britain and Russia with striking results, Since Nanking was made the capital of China, this system of state medicine had been inaugurated, have ing been first brought into use about seven years ago. The work had been hindered through the political situation in China, but now the foundations of state medicine had. been laid down throughout 18 ditterent provinces and municipalities, State Control of Medicine Defining the organization of state medicine, Dr. King said, among, other things, that the whole respon= sibility. for the health of the people would be borne by the government, in order to create a unified system, The financial part of the work would by included in the national budget. The central and provincial health organizations were responsible for administration, and for the drawing up of plans, "The hsien was the basic unit of the scheme Nurses acquainted with both hospltal nursing and "public health nurse Ing were needed in the work, as both curative and preventative work were included in the programme of, state medicine."
'Among the' important plans formulated" by the delegates was one for the preparation of an emergency nursing service to work in cooperation with the Red Cross, to meet the needs of a national crisis.
special office of the Nurses' Asso-lation of China in Nanking now forms the headquarters of this emergency service, while five delegates in different parts of China are responsible to headquarters for the organization of the service in their Tt was also decided that nurses should continue to put forward their right to send representatives, -with the power to vote, to the People's Convention. Much time was spent In the discussion of the registration of nursing schools under the control of the Ministry of Education, 20 schools being registered before the conference, and 19 more schools now applying for registration. As a result the conference, and of the Minis try of Education's efforts to obtain the ce-operation of the conference in modifying the curriculum and regula-Nous governing registration, many more schools will now quickly apply for registration, The conference was impressed with the activities of the National Health Administration, and with its plan for nation-wide health programmes, The delegates decided to ce-operate even more with the Government in the wider opportunities now offered for carrying out public health work.
Telegram to Gen. Chiai Miss Evelyn Ling, who has had nursing experience in England, was elected as president of the associa~ tion for the ensuing year, in place of Mrs, Victoria Pon Yen. In. the course of the conference, a telegram was sent to Gen, Chiang Kai-shek congratulating him on his efforts for
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.