Report of the Director of Medical Services / British Guiana.

  • British Guiana. Medical Department.
Date:
[1944]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Report of the Director of Medical Services / British Guiana. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    APPENDIX V. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BEST SANATORIUM BUILDINGS. No New Buildings were erected during the year 1944. Lateral (east and west) balconies were added to the two convalescent buildings to allow for longer hours of heliotherapy than was pos¬ sible with the former balconies only. The ground flat of the quarantine station, formerly used for storage purposes, was renovated and minor additions made to the building. This flat was opened as an 18-bed ward. Work was started on a new water supply and distribution system. A tower carrying a 4,000-gallon metal tank was erected. This work was not yet finished by year's end. The refuse incinerator had to be displaced to permit the installation of the new water pipes. This occasion was seized to erect the incinerator as far leeward from the kitchen and other build¬ ings as possible. Hard paths were laid out in the Compound and small bridges built where needed by the staff itself. ACCOMMODATION. On 1st January, 1944, the accommodation was for 158 beds divided as follows: 82 beds for males, 60 beds for females, and 16 beds for children of both sexes. The number of beds for male patients has always been too small, so the ground flat of the quarantine station has been opened as an additional male ward, bringing the accommodation to 176 beds, divided as follows: 100 beds for male patients, 60 beds for female patients, 16 beds for children. STAFF. On 31st December, 1944, the staff con¬ sisted of:— Medical Staff—-the Medical Super¬ intendent; Office Staff—1 steward and 1 clerk issuer; Technical Staff—1 laboratory technician and 1 dispenser—X-Ray Technician; Nursing Staff—— 1 nurse superintendent, 3 charge nurses, 8 staff nurses, and 14 probationers; Other mem¬ bers of the staff—1 electrician, 1 mechanic- lorry driver, 2 gatemen, 1 carpenter, 13 porters, 3 seamstresses, 6 cooks, 6 laundresses, and 12 wardmaids. Acting on the opinion that previous con¬ tact .with tuberculosis as proved by a positive tuberculin test, combined with a satisfactory general condition and absence of radiological signs of active pulmonary tuberculosis, confers a certain degree of relative immunity to further tuberculous infection and development of disease, only tuberculin positive persons are accepted for duty in the wards. All nurses, wardmaid, laundress, and porter candidates are tuberculin tested by the Mantoux test with 1/10 milligram of Old Tuberculin, and X-ray screened prior to admis¬ sion to service at the Best Sanatorium. Nurses are also screened on leaving the hospital. STATISTICAL DATA. Remaining on 31. 12. 43 Admitted during the year Discharged do. do. do. Died do. do. do. Remaining on 31. 12. 44 The average number of patients per diem during 1944 was 145.5. COST OF MAINTENANCE. The total expenditure for the year was $73,568.37. ■> .... M ale. Female. T otal. 76 56 132 148 99 247 77 44 121 58 53 111 89 58 147 The total number of patient days was 53,256. The cost of maintenance per caput per diem was $1.38. This is one cent more than the average cost of maintenance for 1943 but six cents less than the average cost of main¬ tenance for the second half of 1943.