Report of the Director-General of Public Health, New South Wales.

  • New South Wales. Department of Public Health.
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Director-General of Public Health, New South Wales. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/140 (page 6)
    The blood transfusion service brought about a decrease in maternal deaths from haemorrhage. During 1943 other blood transfusion units, in addition to the original at the Women’s Hospital, Crown-street, were established at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the Royal North Shore Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Women, Paddington. The original system of blood donors was superseded by provision of blood by the Red Cross Transfusion Service. The Departmental free booklet “Healthy Motherhood” con¬ tinued to be a most valuable publication and was used by all the Metropolitan Obstetric Hospitals, the majority of other obstetric hospitals and by general practitioners. Infant Welfare (see page 102). The decision of the Government in 1944 to give generous financial assistance in the establishment of new, Baby Health Centre premises gave a tremendous impetus to the development of this most important field of maternal and baby welfare. The assistance provided consists of a grant of 50 per cent, of the capital cost of building and equipping the centre, and, if required, advances up to a further 25 per cent, of these costs, and provision of staff. Such assistance is subject to approval of site, plans and equipment of the Centre. At the end of 1946, Baby Health Centres numbered 252, placed as follows:—Sydney and suburbs, 67; Newcastle, 10; Country, 175; with a total staff of 240 nurses. Total attendances for 1946 were 1,176,854, individual atten¬ dances being 110,116. The Departmental free booklet, “Our Babies,” has been substantially improved, particularly in relation to the diet chart for infants and school children. Preschool Child.—The Baby Health Centres have encouraged mothers to bring their toddlers and preschool children to the centres for supervision at intervals. Parents are given instruc¬ tion in hygiene and dietetics, and the weight and physical development of the child is checked. At Kindergartens, Day Nurseries and Nursery Schools, medical supervision of the children was conducted throughout 1946 by an officer of the Division. Details of medical inspec¬ tions are appended to the report. Consultative Council on Physically Handicapped Persons. In August, 1945, the Consultative Council on Infantile Para¬ lysis was renamed the Consultative Council for the Physically Handicapped Persons, the work being extended to include those people physically handicapped not only from infantile paralysis but from other causes as well. An occupational therapist and a physiotherapist were co¬ opted as members to the Council and an almoner was appointed in 1946. An epidemic of poliomyelitis occurred in New South Wales in 1945 and 1946 with 661 cases in 1945 and 647 cases in 1946. There were ninety-eight deaths. Of the 1,308 cases, 1,197 were followed up after a period of six months to two and a half years from the onset of illness. Of these 43 per cent, showed no residual effects from the disease, 27 per cent, had slight weakness but no dis¬ ability, 22 per cent, had residual paralysis, the remaining 8 per cent, representing deaths. After-care of poliomyelitis cases included communication with medical practitioners, visits to patients, transfer to treat¬ ment centres, assistance with physiotherapy treatment (expenses and transport), vocational guidance training and placement of physically handicapped persons. Supervision over Food and Drugs. During the period 1941-1946 (inclusive) a total of 170,310 samples were examined in the Chemical Laboratory. This num¬ ber included 155,022 samples submitted in connection with the administration of the Pure Food Act, 13,844 samples for the Public Services of the State and 1,444 for the Defence Authori¬ ties. Of the 155,022 samples examined under the Pure Food Act 6,446 (4.1 per cent.) were found adulterated or falsely described. Milk formed the principal subject of investigation, and of a total of 106,698 samples of milk examined, 3,527 (3.3 per cent.) failed to conform to the prescribed standard. Supervision of Private Hospitals (see page 88). During the period 1941-1946 (inclusive) the number of pri¬ vate hospitals licensed in New South Wales declined from 496 to 348 and the number of beds from 5,124 to 4,206. Condi¬ tions brought about by the Avar accounted for these reductions. Routine inspection of private hospitals was carried out by supervisory nurses as in previous years. Inspections disclosed deterioration in buildings, and a general tendency to over¬ crowding. Rest and convalescent homes were also Ansited and some showed undesirable features. There were 313 cases of puerperal fever notified during the period—of these 114 occurred in private hospitals. Health Education (see page 90). Considerably more work Avas undertaken by the Publicity Branch owing to an increase in the funds made available. Additions were made to the staff as follows:—An Assistant Publicity Officer, a senior Secretarial Assistant and a qualified projectionist. The serA’ices of an advertising agency and a firm of window-display contractors were engaged. More posters, film screenings, Avindow displays, talks, press articles, health week exhibits and recorded broadcasts put the importance of health work before the public. A good deal of publicity was given to such subjects as venereal disease, tuberculosis, nutrition, diphtheria immunisation, rat control and noise abatement. Nutrition. A section on nutrition Avas established in 1942 following the appointment of the State Nutrition Committee by the Minister for Health “to disseminate, for public information, advice to housewives and others regarding nutrition, the composition of foodstuffs, the preparation of dietaries, the means of pur¬ chasing food with due regard to economy and methods of preparing food in the home.” In 1944 a trained dietitian was appointed to the staff and in 1946 two additional trained dietitians. Among the activities of this section are—talks on nutrition, food values, school lunches and related subjects to interested people in the city and country, and instruction of food services in institutions. Metropolitan Combined District (see page 121). Dr. Grahame Drerv, in presenting his report on the health conditions of the Metropolitan Area of Sydney for the years 1941-1946, refers first to vital statistics. There has been a steady increase in population and a rise in the birth rate. Ex-nuptial births are ascribed to war-time influence. The still-birth rate shows a steady decline, as does infant mortality. Dr. Drew emphasises the importance of good living conditions in bringing about such decrease. Close attention has been given during the period under review to the Government’s Re-Housing Programme as directed by the Housing Commission. Difficulties have been encountered with household drainage on those estates which are not sewered. Complaints are frequently made to the Health Department from this cause. Dr. Drew draws attention to the danger of diseases such as typhus being introduced into the Metropolitan Area from countries to the north of Australia and points out that several new cases of malaria have occurred in his area. He urges that greater attention must be paid to the control of vermin. Nightsoil and garbage services could be operated by Councils through tlieir OAvn employees in order to avoid the difficulties encountered under the contract system. Garbage tips have been unsatisfactory. Dr. Drew refers to infectious diseases in the Metropolitan Area during the period 1941-1946. The incidence of typhoid fever has remained fairly constant; scarlet fever shoAved a marked recrudescence though in a mild form only; diphtheria showed a steady decline; poliomyelitis became epidemic in 1945 and 1946 and in the early part of the period under review cerebro-spinal meningitis occurred in outbreaks; typhus fever also showed an increase. The celebration of Health Week was maintained annually in the Metropolitan Area, and the increase in the Health Education Vote for the Department in 1945 and 1946 enabled a vast amount of informative material on health and disease to be issued to the public. Hunter River Combined Sanitary District (see page 122). Dr. J. R. Shannon, Medical Officer of Health, states that during the war years the officers of his branch formed part of the National Emergency Service and Civilian Aid Services so that special and extra duties were required of them. NeAv,- castle at this time became the centre of a vast military estab¬ lishment with associated health problems. In February, 1943, dengue fever outbreaks in the district led to an intensive mosquito-eradication campaign with the result that only a few isolated cases of dengue fever occurred in the City of Greater Newcastle, which became almost com¬ pletely free from mosquitoes. The incidence of venereal disease infection was reduced to a minimum because of the powers given by Regulations issued under the National Security Act. Dr. Shannon, in commenting on the occurrence of other infectious diseases, notes that in 1943 for the first time in the history of the Hunter District no cases of typhoid fever were notified. A sudden increase in diphtheria cases occurred in 1941 due largely to the failure to immunise. There were 471 cases and twenty-two deaths. During 1943, 1944 and 1945 scarlet fever became epidemic and an outbreak of a virulent type occurred at a Mental Hospital (thirty-three cases, of