Annual report of the Department of Public Health / Union of South Africa.

  • South Africa. Department of Health.
Date:
[1930]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Department of Public Health / Union of South Africa. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    26/80 (page 24)
    more time than his predecessor to treatment work at the institution—where a modern hospital building with dressing room and adjuncts has recently been completed and is at present being equipped and furnished. A most regrettable occurrence during the year was the development of leprosy by an assistant medical officer of one of the institutions. He had been employed on institution leprosy work continuously since 20.11.1919, and in January or February, 1929, had pricked his left forefinger (through a rubber glove) whilst performing an operation on a patient suffering from leprosy of highly infective type. The first symptom of the disease developed on the injured forefinger. The disease at first developed rapidly, but later slowed iip under active treatment and now appears quiescent. It is not of infective type and there are good grounds for hoping that it will soon become arrested. The officer has retired from his post, Parliament has made pro¬ vision for compensation, and arrangements are being made for his home segregation until he can be released from restrictions as an “ arrested ” case. The charts and some of the tables attached give particulars of admis¬ sions, discharges, etc., of leprosy patients during recent years. It will be seen that as regards both European and mixed coloured the progress made and present position are very encouraging. European patients in institu¬ tions are now down to 94, and mixed coloured patients to 112; there is good reason to hope that within another couple of decades only occasional and sporadic cases of leprosy will have to be dealt with. It must be remembered that leprosy is a very slow and chronic disease with a long incubation period —sometimes as long as 12 to 15 or even 20 years—so that quick results cannot be expected. As regards natives the position is much less satis¬ factory; there is still a large number—probably 1,500 or 2,000—of unre¬ ported and undiscovered cases at large in the native or mainly native districts, and in various stages of the disease; until these or the great majority of them have been got under care and treatment and effective arrangements made for the early discovery, care and treatment of fresh cases, the eradica¬ tion of the disease cannot be said to be in sight. Arrangements are being made to ensure the careful medical examination (including the taking of smears or materials for laboratory examination) of all close contacts at time of discovery, and for their re-examination, where practicable, during the second year and again during the fifth year thereafter. In view of the small number of patients remaining in the Robben Island Leper Institution, the excessive cost of maintenance, and the fact that the climate and conditions of the island are unfavourable for leprosy patients, it has been decided to remove the remaining patients to the West Fort Institution at Pretoria and to close down the Robben Island Institu¬ tion at the end of March, 1931. Active steps are being taken accordingly— including the provision of special accommodation for the mixed coloured patients and special facilities for relatives or friends coming a long distance to visit patients at the Pretoria Institution. Dr. R. G. Cochrane, Secretary of the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association, made a tour of the Union on the invitation of the Government in June and July, 1930, visited most of the leper institutions and investi¬ gated the whole problem of leprosy, so far as was possible in the time at his disposal. Thereafter he attended a meeting of the Leprosy Advisory Committee at Pretoria, at which the problem was discussed in all its aspects and the following resolutions passed : — “ This Committee, having considered the facts in regard to the present policy of leprosy control in the Union and the views expressed by Dr. Cochrane, and having also given careful consideration to the views of Sir Leonard Rogers, especially those expressed in his memo¬ randum attached to the letter from the Chairman of the Executive Committee, British Empire Leprosy Relief Association, dated 17th January, 1930, resolves: — 1. That segregation of lepers is the only sound and scientific policy having regard to the circumstances in South Africa. 2. That in view of the present lack of a specifically curative drug, the importance of proper diet, bathing, exercise, and environment in effecting arrest or cure of the disease, and the sparsity of population in the native areas in which leprosy is most prevalent, out-patient treat¬ ment in clinics cannot, under present conditions, lie advised for South Africa.