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.

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    \\ ith regard to the decline in the native admissions, this is possibly due to the fact that the large companies employing extensive native labour are retrenching drastically, with the result that many natives are unemployed and are drifting back to the reserves. These natives would ordinarily supply a percentage of sick and injured to the larger hospitals, but on their return to their kraals they do not seek hospital attention. Number of Patients treated in Government Hospitals, 1931: Paying patients —European, 3,964; coloured and native, 2,713: Total, 6,677. Free patients— European, 1,387; coloured and native, 5,647: Total, 7,034. Total number of patients treated, 13,711. Gross Expenditure on Hospitals (not including doctors’ salaries): £93,284; total amount credited to revenue, £27,843; deficit, £65,441. 1. Salisbury Hospital.—Admissions during 1931 showed a decided fall as compared with 1930. European admissions numbered 1,879, a fall of 103 compared with 1930, when admissions were 1,982. Native admissions showed a similar decline : 1,521 admissions during 1931 as compared with 1,635 for 1930, a fall of 114. Out-patient attendances show an increase from 4,286 in 1930 to 4,350 in 1931, a rise of 64. The X-ray department for 1931 showed the total number of patients examined to be 924. This is an increase of 22 over the total figures for 1930, which were 902. Theatre : The total number of operations performed 33 during 1931 amounted to 1,378; this is an increase of 50 on the figures of the do previous year, when the numbers were 1,328. Major operations numbered 444. ‘ 14 Jo IS 3> beds. A large new native ward was erected during the year, and there is now accommodation for all the native cases. The sewerage system was finally completed throughout the hospital and is functioning satisfactorily. 3. Umtali Hospital.—The total admissions were 1,007, a decrease of 62 from 1930. European admissions declined from 472 in 1930 to 395 in 1931, but the native admissions increased from 597 to 612. The number of out-patients treated also dropped, the total being 695, composed of 36 Europeans and 659 natives. During the year 199 operations were% performed, of which 90 were major and 109 minor. 4. Givelo Hospital.—European admissions declined by 38, the number of patients admitted being 359. The native admissions also fell off greatly; cases admitted being 491 in 1931 as compared with 700 in 1930. The out-patient department, however, almost doubled its work, the number of cases treated during the year being 459 Europeans and 1,247 natives. Operations performed totalled 218. The X-ray apparatus recently installed lias been made good use of during the short time, and over 90 photographs have been taken. minor operations nuniDerea you. The new Nurses’ Home block was completed on the 24th December, 1931, and handed over for occupation. This building comprises 35 rooms with 3 attached bathroom blocks. The complete Nurses’ Home now consists of 91 rooms with 12 bathroom blocks. Additional accommodation for the native staff has also been provided. 2. Bulawayo Hospital.—European admissions numbered 1,653, being an increase of 104 over 1930, when admissions numbered 1,594. Native admissions fell by 298 cases, the total number admitted being 1,757. This decline is attributed to the fact that the railways have opened their own hospital in Bulawayo and now treat their own cases. The out-patient department steadily increases its sphere of usefulness. European out-patients dealt with numbered 3,728, an increase of 756 over 1930. Native out-patients numbered 3,521, an increase of 231. In the massage and electrical department 1,206 treatments were carried out in the former and 951 in the latter. The X-ray department dealt with 1,108 patients (Europeans 820, coloured 23, natives 265). Theatre: During the year 1,032 operations were performed as compared with 1,086 last year. European operations: Major, 402; minor, 523. Native operations: Major, 125; minor, 252. The accommodation in the European hospital has increased from 100 to 110