Triennial report on the hospitals and dispensaries in Burma.

Burma.

Date:: [1919]

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Triennial report on the hospitals and dispensaries in Burma. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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ON THE HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES IN BURMA FOR THE YEARS 1917 to 1919. 1. Introductory Remarks and Administrative Charges of the Department.— The present report covers the period 1917—19. The statistics for the two former years have already been published, those for 1919 are given in the Appendices. The post of the Inspector-General was held by Colonel P. C. H. Strickland, I.M.S., during the whole of the triennium 1917—19 with the exception of the last fortnight, during which Lieutenant-Colonel J. Entrican, I.M.S., was in charge. For two out of three years, the general European war was in progress, and when that ended, the hopes of an early return to normal conditions were frustrated by the Afghan and Frontier troubles. The history of the last three years is consequently a continued struggle to keep things going and turn out the usual tale of bricks with a minimum allowance of straw. 2. Number of Hospitals and Dispensaries of all classes opened and Statement closed.—At the close of 1919, there were 269 hospitals and dispensaries of all A* classes working in the province as compared with 282 in 1916, Twenty-one institutions were opened and 34 closed during the triennium, including 12 opened and five closed during 1919. One temporary dispensary at Double Island, for the medical relief of Public Works Department workmen, was opened. Three temporary dispensaries, one at Alguada Reef for workmen, one at Cheduba Island for political detenues, and one for recruits for the Indian Army at Meiktila, were closed. At the close of 1919, eleven civil hospitals and eight dispensaries remained closed for want of Sub-Assistant Surgeons to staff them. Nine hospitals were working with one Sub-Assistant Surgeon short of their establishment. Fifteen hospitals and dispensaries were held as collateral charges, and six Military Police outposts were in charge of Compounders—total 49. Three hospitals, Papun, Pyinmana and Tiddim, were held by Assistant Surgeons only, instead of as normally one Assistant and Sub-Assistant Surgeon. 3. Medical Progress and Improvements to Hospitals and Dispensaries.— The progress made in hospital construction has perforce been small and many urgent works have been delayed on account of the war, but some progress has been made. Bricks and tiles are taking the place of wood and matting in hospital construction, and better designed buildings are replacing ancient structures dating from the days when a room of sorts, filled with as many beds as could be conveniently crowded into it, was the only conception of what constituted a hospital. I hope we have now definitely left the “ wood ” age of hospital construc¬ tion behind, and have emerged into the <f brick and mortar ” era. The former serve'd a useful purpose when the latter was impossible, but its day of usefulness is over. Difficult to keep in a sanitary condition, exposed to the ravages of insects, etc., and requiring constant repair, its upkeep was a recurring source of expenditure which ought to be largely eliminated in future. The period of reconstruction now in progress has, however, dangers which if not guarded against, will mean unnecessary expenditure, loss of efficiency, and disappointment. A definite scheme of reconstruction is required for a large number of hospitals. It is usually impossible for financial and other reasons to rebuild a hospital complete in all details. The work must be undertaken step by step as funds are available, and every addition or partial reconstruction should be made with a view to its eventually fitting into and taking its appropriate place in the scheme as a whole. In too many cases in the past this has been neglected and money has been spent on buildings, excellent in themselves, but which cannot be fitted into, and in some cases even obstruct, a complete scheme of reconstruction.