Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1931]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/36 (page 17)
    Work of School Dentists.—The Government employ two whole-time school dentists, who are kept busily engaged attending to the teeth of children whose parents are not in a position to secure dental treatment themselves, and also in examining the teeth of other children who do not come within this category, and reporting defects to their parents so that treatment may be secured. The value of the regular supervision and treatment of the teeth of school children is now showing itself in the much better condition of children’s mouths to what was the case when the Government first started school dental work. Success in school dentistry is based on the fact that defects are not allowed to go far, hence the value of early inspection and treatment. The following table summarises the work of the school dentists during the year:— 1. Number of children examined. 3,075 2. Number of children treated. 1,200 3. Number of fillings: Temporary teeth, 467; permanent teeth, 2,031 . 2,498 4. Number of extractions: Temporary teeth, 1,456; permanent teeth, 405 . 1,861 5. Other operations. 160 In 3,075 children examined there were found 7,318 carious teeth, and in addition 940 septic teeth—more than two decayed teeth per child. (4) The Health of the Native. In a country inhabited by European and native races the health of the native is a question of importance to both communities. Without the assistance of European medical supervision the ignorance of the native renders him helpless in the presence of infective disease. The native is thus the reservoir from which the white man, who is obliged to live in close contact writh him, becomes infected. As instances may be cited, diseases of the type of malaria, dysentery and various internal worms, such as Schistosoma (formerly knowm as bilharzia). Unfortunately the native carrier of these diseases is commonly quite healthy to external appearances, and the European is thus powerless to guard against the danger which is at his door. The only remedy lies in systematic medical control of the natives, who in a sub-tropical country are prone to the many ailments incidental to such a life. Natives dwelling in townships obtain treatment at the Government hospitals. Outside the towms a limited amount of treatment is supplied by mission hospitals and Government dispensaries. Most of these, though excellent as far as they can go, are small. Broadly speaking, the problem of the health of the native is as yet untouched. To deal with a million natives spread over an area of 151,000 square miles at first sight appears a problem financially impossible. The solution must lie to a great extent with the native himself. It is possible to cover a large tract of country by means of dispensaries worked by trained native orderlies obtainable at a low wage, provided these dispensaries are under the supervision of a European doctor with a hospital centrally placed in his area. It is considered that the comparatively small cost of maintaining medical units of this type could be borne by the native population of the Colony. A scheme on these lines was set forth in my last report, the carrying out of which has been necessarily deferred for financial reasons. Native Dispensaries.—The following table shows the number of patients treated during 1931 at the dispensaries maintained by the Government. Many of these were venereal patients : — Name. No. of patients treated. Bikita. Mount Darwin. Goromonzi. Kezi. Gwaai. Marandellas (opened 26tli November, 1931) ... Buhera (now closed). 2,576 703 203 243 297 22 h>J*J Total 4,044