The annual report of the Medical and Health Departments, Kedah and Perlis.

  • Kedah and Perlis. Medical Department.
Date:
[1938]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The annual report of the Medical and Health Departments, Kedah and Perlis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (ii) An excellent opportunity is afforded by the very considerable experience in radiology and in diseases of the chest which one of the Assistant Medical Officers (Dr. Nayar) acquired in England. Modern methods of treatment of tuberculosis constituted the subject which he recently pursued during an intensive course of study at the Brompton Hospital. The main outline of the scheme is to have a special ward constructed, to obtain equipment and instruments for such measures as Artificial Pneumothorax, and to establish an out-patient clinic. This service has in effect already been successfully started on a small scale, and there is every reason to expect continua¬ tion of this initial success when the scheme is fully developed. The establishment of a Venereal Disease Clinic, with its special sessions separate in time and place from the general clinic, is considered to be a very desirable and useful adjunct. A spare room in the new Town Dispensary, very suitably situated for privacy, will be furnished and equipped for out-door treatment of male patients. If the initial stages of the scheme at Alor Star warrant it, extension of the service to Sungei Patani and Kulim may be contemplated later on. Further considerable extension of the chain of kampong dispensaries is assured; very shortly the whole of the rice growing population of North Kedah will be very effi¬ ciently served by a complete system of such dispensaries; the remoter centres of Central and South Kedah are also receiving attention. By adopting the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States syllabus of training and rules of examination of dressers, the status of Kedah-trained dressers has been been brought into line with that of the other important administrations, and the certificate of efficiency issued by Kedah is now entitled to the same recognition as that accorded to certificates issued by the other Malayan administrations. This may not be of vital importance to Government dressers, but it is to those employed by estates. In any case a considerable rise in the standard of training, making for increased efficiency, is the immediate result. Kedah is maintaining three medical and one dental students at the Singapore College of Medicine, one of the former being a Kedah born and educated girl, who, it is hoped, will join the Kedah Medical Service as Lady Assistant Medical Officer on qualifying L.M.S. (Singapore). One Health Inspector will be sent to Singapore to attend the course for the Diploma of the Royal Sanitary Institute. With regard to Perlis two landmarks in advancement may be mentioned, namely: (a) the introduction of the kampong Midwifery Service as in Kedah (two midwives were trained at Alor Star and duly posted to her kampong in Perlis, (6) the creation of the nucleus of a Public Health Service: a whole time Assistant Health Officer is employed; he underwent a course of intensive training under the Senior Health Officer, Kedah, with a view to rendering himself familiar with local problems, especially in respect of Malaria and its control, Sanitary Board Work, Estate inspection, school inspection, rural hygiene and registration of births and deaths. The year under review shewed an increase in the total death rate which was un¬ doubtedly due to the increase in deaths from malaria and unspecified fever. Apart from the wave of malaria the year in general was a healthy one. The infantile mortality rate shewed a further decline from 138 in 1937 to 131. The general death rate, however, rose from 20.6 to 22. No major communicable disease was reported throughout the year, and the absence of cholera in the neighbouring State of Siam was a great relief. A definite increase of malaria was recorded throughout the State, but the towns and villages protected by the Health Department shewed no increase. The water supplies of the State continued to receive attention. Many areas are still without adequate supplies, but, owing to the distance in many places of suitable sources, some time must elapse before proper supplies will be possible. Urban areas continued to receive attention during the year. With the removal of the Senior Health Officer to Alor Star and the appointment of an Assistant Health Officer to Kulim, it has been possible to devote more attention to Sanitary Board work in these areas. Proposal for sewage schemes for Alor Star are still under consideration. The possibility of a water carriage scheme in Alor Star similar to the scheme in Penang is being considered. The general health 4n Perlis may likewise be reported as good. The death rate rose from 18.31 in 1937 to 20.04 and the infantile mortality rate also from 105.41 to 111.00. Cerebrospinal Meningitis was limited to two cases only. Malaria and unspeci¬ fied fevers shewed some increase and was responsible for the increased death rate. Kampong midwives are proving a great success. It is hoped that this branch of the service will be rapidly increased. Trained nurses will be introduced as health visitors to supervise this work.