Medical and sanitary report / Government of the Gold Coast.

  • Gold Coast. Medical Department.
Date:
[1898]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical and sanitary report / Government of the Gold Coast. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/18 (page 317)
    cases are admitted, the number is not really excessive. 1,730 new cases were treated as out-patients. The building of a larger Hospital at this station is under consideration. Kwitta.—The general health of European Officials is reported as having been fairly good during the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters, but bad during the 3rd quarter. Of the Non-Officials it was very unsatisfactory in the first three quarters, but fairly good in the fourth. No Official died but 1 was invalided. 1 Non-Official died and 8 were invalided. The principal diseases were malarial fevers and small-pox. 121 patients were treated in Hospital and of these 8 died. 1,844 new cases received treatment as out-patients. Saltpond.—There is no Hospital, only a Dispensary, at this station, and the Medical Officer of the district reports that it is gaining public esteem and favour. During this year (1898) 994 new cases were treated as compared with 343 in the previous year. The general health of the Europeans during the first quarter of the year was fairly good, one Official died from Pernicious Remittent Fever. In the second quarter the health was very bad, there were three deaths; 1 Official and 2 Non-Officials, and 2 Non-Officials were invalided. During the third quarter the general health of Europeans improved, no death occurred, but 2 Non-Officials were invalided. In the fourth quarter the health was excellent. The general health of the Native population was fairly good throughout the year. Adda.—The Medical Officer in charge of this district reports that the general health of the European population has been excellent, and in the opinion of the old inhabitants of Adda such a healthy year has not been experienced before. During the rainy season there were a number of cases of malarial fever, but the attacks were all slight. All the European quarters in Adda are good, especially the new bimgalows erected by the Government; these are very well situated facing the sea and are very cool. The water supply has been ample and the quality good. There is no Hospital, and the present Dispensary is very unsuitable, but the erection of a new Hospital and Dispensary has been commenced ; this Hospital will be admirably adapted for the requirements of Adda, and is well situated, 1,532 patients received treatment at the Dispensary. Akuse.—The general health of the Europeans has been very unsatisfactory, especially during the last quarter of the year. The third quarter was the least unhealthy. The prevalent diseases were intermittent, remittent and pernicious remittent fevers, hepatic and splenic congestion and dysentery. Two European Officials died, one from pernicious remittent fever and one from dysentery ; and one European non-official died from pernicious remittent fever, and three were invalided. The health of the Native population was very good throughout the year. Akuse is, even under the most favourable conditions, a very unhealthy place for Europeans, its situation is low and swampy, and the houses are bad and for the most part badly situated ; this applies also to the Government quarters, the house occupied by the District Commissioner is in bad repair and the roof is full of bats ; the quarters for the Medical Officer are simply unfit for habitation by a European, it is a “ swish ” building, low and damp, and has not a single glass window, the so-called windows being only holes in the walls with very badly fitting wooden shutters. New quarters are an absolute necessity. 635 new cases were treated in the Dispensary. Kumassi.—The health of the European residents was good except during the September quarter, when there were a good many cases of remittent fever, two of which proved fatal, both officials. [124965] l UJ ID CO >- -£= CC o o 5 8 £ !+ ■ - 1 to w Cx> 0? 1 c . j< o O Three officials were invalided. The 80 <r- O3 ! — ■d