Annual report of the Public Health Department / Zanzibar Protectorate.

  • Zanzibar. Public Health Department.
Date:
[1960]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Public Health Department / Zanzibar Protectorate. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/48 (page 2)
    5. During the past year no epidemics of any of the major communicable diseases occurred in either Zanzibar or Pemba. Epidemic conjunctivitis once again was seen in the rural areas both in Pemba and Zanzibar. The reason for its spread is not yet known, but in some places there appears to be an association with the large numbers of flies seen at certain times of the year. The number of cases of Typhoid Fever also increased, and minor outbreaks in the Makunduchi area and in one of the prison camps, were promptly and efficiently dealt with. 6. The year 1960 marked the beginning of a new five-year period of development of Capital Works. The allocation to the Health Department for this period is approximately £50,000, and the projects as at present planned are as follows: — Children’s Ward, Zanzibar, Nurses Hostel, Zanzibar, Mortuary ana Post-Mortem Room, Zanzibar, Rural Treatment Centres and housing. Housing for District Midwives, Electrical equipment for Pemba Hospitals. 7. During the year it was planned to build a new Children’s Ward at the Hassanali Karimjee Jivanjee Hospital, Zanzibar; provide electrical equipment for Pemba, and rebuild two rural treatment centres in Zanzibar and Pemba. Money for the electrical equipment was immediately available, but the other projects were delayed until approval of Colonial Development and Welfare funds had been obtained. Because of this only a token amount of work could be done before the end of the year on the Children’s Ward and treatment centres. At this moment children are accommodated in an old ward in the hospital grounds, which is unsuitable for the purpose. It was at first proposed to build a new ward as an isolated structure, but this plan was found to be both expensive and inconvenient, and accordingly it was decided to alter one wing of the second floor of the main hospital building to provide a complete paediatric unit of 26 beds. At present the wards to be converted are used for male tuberculosis cases who will be rehoused in the old out-patient block now freed by the opening of the new unit. 8. In Pemba the completion of the scheme for the development of the Zenubbai Karimjee Hospital, Wete, was held up because the first part of the project, namely the out-patient block, absorbed most of the money avail¬ able, and the Womens’ Ward as planned cost much more than the remain¬ ing money could cover. A new and simpler plan was prepared, and work was started at the end of this year. The proposed Tuberculosis Ward and new Operating Theatre will unfortunately have to be postponed for the present. 9. The Pilot Scheme for the eradication of Malaria under the auspices of the World Health Organization was continued during the year, and the third cycle of spraying was completed both in Zanzibar and Pemba by October. The project was due to be review in 1960 and accordingly, in June, a meeting was held in Zanzibar with the World Health Organization Malaria Advisers, Dr. de Meillon and Dr. Maffi. As a result of these dis¬ cussions, it was decided that the project should proceed to the next stage of