Report on medical matters in Mauritius / by Andrew Balfour.

  • Andrew Balfour
Date:
[1921]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on medical matters in Mauritius / by Andrew Balfour. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    has done his best to have them remedied but in the past considerations of economy have prevailed. The following is a list of those engaged in medical and surgical work in the hospitals :— : 1 Medical Superintendent, | Assistant-Superintendent. 1 Pharmacist, 1 Dispenser, 1 Head-Warder, 1 Senior Warder. 1 Surgical Assistant, 7 Warders, 4 Nurses, 12 Male Students and 8 Female Students. | It was surprising to find that there is no laundry and that all the hospital washing is done by a contractor at the Grand River, North-West. I have asked that a small field Jaundry be installed. (This has been approved). There is no disinfecting apparatus of any kind and it is hoped that one of the Lelean Steam Sack Disinfectors which have been ordered will be available. Some form of artificial light should be provided in the post-mortem room. The latter requires to be properly fitted up. It is only partly equipped at present. I was glad to find that, in this hospital, temperature charts are used in all cases where pyrexia continues for several days. This unfortunately is not the case elsewhere and yet the value of graphic representation of temperature cannot be gainsaid. It is of the greatest help to the Clinician and no properly constituted hospital should be without these aids to diagnosis and treatment. If necessary they can always be improvised. The milk supply to the hospital is a perpetual source of trouble and worry. The only way, so far as I can see, in which the matter can at present be remedied, is by the establishment of milk depots and town dairies as advocated in My 237/R/105 of 5.9.21 or by coming to an arrangement with the new dairy farm at Chebel. Barxiy Asy_uM, Brau Basstn.—This is the institution which the Victoria Hospital, Candos is destined to replace and, the sooner it does so, the better -for all concerned. The Beau Bassin hospital is housed in what was once a sugar factory and hence is not at all well adapted to hospital requirements. There are supposed to be 223 beds, but, at the time of my visit, 193 were available (153 male and 40 female). The Medical Staff consists of two Medical Officers who have also to look after the neighbouring Lunatic Asylum. Neither is resident in the hospital though the Acting Medical Superintendent lives not far away from it. The post of Medical Superintendent is vacant. There are no trained nurses but four Sisters of Mercy together with a head warder carry out supervisory duties, the actual nursing being done by four ward orderlies. At night there is only one warder for the whole hospital and yet theefemale ward and the isolation ward are a long way from the main building. ‘The Dispensary is in charge of a Dispenser and Assistant Dispenser. There are no special wards for malaria, dysentery or tuberculosis but a ward is set aside for the reception of all cases of respiratory disease. There is a poor type of isolation ward for the treatment of communicable disease. At the time of my visit it was occupied by cases of typhoid fever. Blood examinations are rarely made. As a matter of fact the microscope, of a poor type, is not in working order. There is no lavatory of any kind. The operation theatre is entirely unsuitable and is badly lighted. In the bare and comfortless wards I found many of the beds dirty while flies were numerous. At the time of my visit there was a lamentable deficiency of ward equipment which, I understand, has since been remedied. No mosquito nets were in use and there is no provision for hanging them. At my request a few were issued. No temperature charts are employed save in cases of typhoid fever and it is clear that the nursing and treatment of patients are in the highest degree unsatisfactory. ul There is no hospital library, no ambulance, no laundry,no incinerator, no disinfecting apparatus. The sanitary arrangements are primitive. Excreta from typhoid cases are buried in pits and have fires lit over them, by no means a reliable method of sterilization. Sullage water and kitchen refuse pass into open drains. The kitchen is fair and the food good but I found that it was liable to get cold during transport to the wards. This has now been remedied by the provision of special vessels for transport. The kitchen is not provided with fly covers. I gather that the milk supply is often very unsatisfactory. It is perhaps unnecessary to say more about this travesty of an hospital and it is difficnlt to use temperate language regarding it. Fortunately it will soon be a thing of the past. Manesoura Hosprrat.—Here there are 102 beds and an Out-Patient Department. There is a Visiting Medical Officer but_no Resident Physician. There are two dispensary students and two warders. The Dispensary in charge -of a Dispenser, appeared satisfactory save that there was no special cupboard A laundry to be provided. Improvement in post-mortem room. Temperature charts. Barkly Asylum. Medical Staff inadequate. Warders. Grave deficiencies. Mahebourg Hospital Staff, Deficiencies,
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