Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1922]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    20/46 (page 18)
    Overcrowding among the natives is still bad, and buildings lor both male and female natives have long been promised, but as I referred to this subject in my last two reports it is only necessary to say that I hope the building requirements submitted to the Public Works for 1923 will be carried out in their entirety. I called attention to the need of providing some accommodation for female Europeans last year, and since then I had to make arrangements to admit two female European patients, one of Avhom is still in residence. Whatever arrangements we have with the Union authorities regarding the treatment of our European female insane, I am of the opinion that incipient cases of insanity, especially when there is hope of recovery, should be treated in this Territory. Regarding maintenance of buildings, I regret to have again to call- attention to repairs and general upkeep; and as considerable deteriora¬ tion is taking place I would suggest that, as a matter of routine, an officer of the P.W.D. should pay periodical visits of inspection and cause necessary repairs and painting to be effected as occasion demands. Revenue from paying patients and sales of live stock amounted to £1,266 Os. 5d., i.e., maintenance fees £1,121 12s. 6d., sales £44 7s. lid. Supplies from the farm and garden for the use of the hospital amount in value to £645 10s. There were outstanding from maintenance fees the sum of £105 18s. on the 31st December, 1922. The total expenditure for the year, including produce supplied from farm and garden, was £6,236 7s. 8d. This works out at £36 2s. per patient per annum. The cost of maintenance calculated on the gross expenditure is Is. ll^d., and the cost per patient per diem, excluding produce, is Is. 9d. The net cost to the Government, after deducting revenue from hospital vote of maintenance, is Is. 6fd. per caput per diem. W. M. EATON, Medical Superintendent.