Report of the Medical Officer of Health / Municipality of Colombo.

  • Colombo (Sri Lanka). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1940]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health / Municipality of Colombo. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/18 (page 11)
    Part IV.—Maternity and Child Welfare. REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER, MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE, FOR 1940. DURING the year nncler review work in this branch has been carried on in the usual way. Our ante-natal and infant clinics have been well attended. There were 15,744 expectant mothers seen as compared with 14,092 in 1939. Sixty- four more infants than in the previous year were examined and treated, bringing the total to 4,948. The following is a return of the ante-natal attendance at the clinics. Figures include visits and revisits :— Centre. Attendance. St. Paul’s • • • • • • 3,644 Slave Island 2,1)63 Maradana 2,445 Prince of Wales avenue 3.336 Modera 2,552 Wellawatta 1,704 Total for the year ... 15,744 There are still several mothers who do not persevere sufficiently long enough with breast feeding the infant. Perhaps they are encouraged by the prospect of receiving free milk at the clinic. Within recent times we have thoroughly dis¬ couraged mothers who have sufficient milk to nurse the child approaching the Centre for artificial milk. We feel that this is a step in the right direction. Midwives' Cases.—2,271 district cases were delivered by our midwives during the year compared with 2,304 in 1939. Besides these, 670 cases were delivered in our Homes. This is 10 more than the last year. Mention has to be made of the District Midwifery Service inaugurated in the Maradana Area during the course of the year. I refer to the cases conducted by the medical students. At a conference of three Medical Officers of the Medical Department, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Medical Officer, Maternity and Child Welfare, held at the.Town Hall the scheme originally drawn up was discussed and revised. The revised scheme has been almost perfected now and the work is progressing very satisfactorily. In all difficult cases the students summon to their aid either a Surgeon from the Lying-in Home or the Medical Officer, Maternity and Child Welfare. During the last quarter (October to December, 1940) fifty-three cases were conducted by the students and in forty-eight of these cases our midwife was also in attendance. The students work under the direction of Dr. P. R. Thiagarajah, Visiting Surgeon, Lying-in Home, who is closely associated with the proper and efficient working of the scheme. Maternity Homes.—There is sustained popularity of the Homes. Each year there has been an increasing demand for admission. Owing to want of accom¬ modation several cases with tickets were referred back to their own homes or to the Lying-in Home. In the former case the patient was given, if available, the services of a midwife from the Centre. I am glad to mention that now Muslim mothers make use of our Homes more readily. It is a happy thought that they now place their needs above old restrictions. During the year 39 Muslim mothers were delivered in our Homes. This is 10 more than the previous year,