A Deficit of $23,000 is Expected In these days of the depression, it sad to reflect that not only is the pinch being felt by business firms and. Companies, but by a hospital which, featering as it does to the needs of the lower middle class and the really poor, does not depend for its existence tupan the fees collected from patients: Dut must rely on grants and donations from the local community. It is even, sadder when it is realized that, although the amount of money needed to maintain it has decreased, the number of patients who cannot afford to pay anything, yet sorely need medical Assistance, is increasing all the time.
The Lester Hospital for Chinese, better known, perhaps, as the "Shantung Road Hospital." is now in its Joist year of continual existence, a record for the whole of China. ' Since 1846, it has occupied its present site, jin the heart of the Central District, ind to it are brought the sick and ured from the district around, the French Concession, Nantao, "and [Chapel. Since its earliest days, it has had the support of the local foreign Jcommunity, and has gained an envi-[able reputation.
"Thanks to the generosity of the fate Mr. Henry Lester, the hospital is. now housed in a modern building, with up-to-date equipment. The notion is current to-day, however, that ithe endowment was quite sufficient to maintain the running of the hospital, But this is not the case. The depres sion has affected this as well as ever thing else. In 1994, for instance, despite the endowment, grants, voluntary donations, and receipts in general ces, the hospital experienced a loss Jot $23,203.75. And this notwithstand-the fact that salaries are being. kept st a minimum, and rigid economy is being practised.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.