Mr. KELLYasked whether the matron, the assistant matron, and the head nurse at the General Hospital, Madras, are paid by the Indian taxpayer; whether those posts are open to Indians; if so, how many Indians have hitherto been appointed to them; and whether, considering the importance of spreading a general knowledge of medical matters among Indian women, greater facilities would be given to such of them as desire to join the nursing staff and to rise to the highest posts at the General Hospital?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe General Hospital, Madras, is appointed entirely from Indian revenue. As this is the principal State hospital in Madras, and receives many European and Eurasian patients, it seems advisable that the matron, assistant-matron, and head nurse should be Europeans or Eurasians trained in European hospitals. Such training is hardly available for Indians. The diffusion of a knowledge of medical matters among Indian women, the importance of which is fully recognised, is promoted by schools for the training of nurses attached to this and to other large hospitals in India.