Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health / City Council of Pretoria.

  • Pretoria (South Africa). Health Department.
Date:
[1953]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health / City Council of Pretoria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/84 (page 21)
    OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Local Encephalitis . Europeans 2 Non-Europeans 2 Brucellosis . 1 1 Erysipelas . 5 — Puerperal Fever 3 1 Ophthalmia Neonatorum — 1 Malaria. — — Typhus . — — Leprosy . — — Imported Europeans N on-Europeans 2 — 1 — 1 — 1 1 1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITAL This hospital provides accommodation in separate blocks for 50 Europeans and 20 non- European patients. As in previous years Diphtheria cases accounted for the largest number of admissions, and this will unfortunately continue to happen until parents can be made to realise that immunisa¬ tion affords the only safeguard for their children agains this dangerous infection. Another problem which had to be faced throughout the year, was that of providing accom¬ modation for cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. The position, however, regarding Europeans has eased somewhat, and it is hoped that this summer, the typhoid wards, which are at present being used for Tuberculosis, will once again be opened for the reception of typhoid fever cases. An acute shortage of beds for non-European tuberculosis cases still exists. The incidence of infectious disease in Pretoria otherwise was normal, with a good recovery rate, while complications were seldom encounted. Total Admissions: Five hundred and forty-five (565) of whom 339 Europeans. (Figures for last year are given in brackets.) The area distribution was :—• Pretoria Municipal Area Europeans Non-Europeans PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS: Ninety-five (67) patients were admitted. Of these 80 (53) were Pretoria residents and 15 (14) were living outside the Municipal area. Pretoria Other Areas Europeans N on-Europeans Europeans Non-Europeans 24 (27) 56 (26) 7 (8) 8 (6) One (4) of the Europeans and 2 (8) of the non-Europeans died. PNEUMOTHORAX REFILLS: The practice of treating pulmonary tuberculosis by the induction of artificial pneumo¬ thorax or artificial pneumoperitoneum having been superseded to a certain extent by the newer chemotherapeutic methods, no inductions and very few refills were given during the year. All but one of last years patients have achieved clinical cure and no longer attend the refill clinic. The figures for the year were :—■ Pneumothorax refills 52 (148). Pneumoperitoneum refills 37 (94). DIPHTHERIA: 173 (185) patients, almost a third of the total number of patients admitted, were treated, during the year. Pretoria Other Areas Europeans Non-Europeans Europeans Non-Europeans 35 (51) 36 (35) 38 (42) 64 (57) Of the total number of patients 87% (95%) were under the age of ten years, and of this group 64% (60%) were less than five years old. (384) were Europeans and 206 (181) non- Other Areas Europeans Non-Europeans