Report of the Medical Officer of Health / Municipality of Colombo.

  • Colombo (Sri Lanka). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1944]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health / Municipality of Colombo. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    2/4 (page 2)
    General Observations. Increased Mortality Bates.—The maternal mortality rate has not been given above. Owing to the adoption during the year under review of the 1938 revision of the International List of Causes of Death, the classification of deaths has been more elaborate than before. Puerperal septicaemia which is the major cause of maternal deaths accounted for 74 deaths as against 68 in the previous year, but 89 deaths came under the category of “ other accidents and conditions of childbirth and the puerperium, specified and unspecified ” as against 32 under that head during the previous year. It is too early to say how far that increase could be attributed to the greater exactitude in the classification and certification of deaths in terms of the revised International List. But the fact that there-was a general increase in maternal deaths and mainly under “ other causes ”, taken in conjunction with the increased infant mortality chiefly under “congenital debility and premature birth and the increase in the general death rate in respect of bowel diseases point to the conclusion that the increased mortality rates were associated with the problem of general nutrition and food supply. However, the maternal mortality rates for the year were 19’6 and 15*1 (crude and corrected) as against the average of 13*0 and 9*0 for the previous three years. This discrepancy is accounted for by the remarks made above. t Vaccination and Immunization.—27,281 persons were vaccinated by the Public Health Department staff during the year. Owing to the increasing inci¬ dence of enteric fever during the second half of the year preventive inoculation on a large scale was done. Apart from 3,639 inoculations done by the dispensary medical officers, 16,967 inoculations were done by the Medical Officer of Health, Epidemiology and Vital Statistics. Most of the inoculations were done in schools and convents and Government and Mercantile establishments. General Sanitation.—Routine sanitary work in respect of essential repairs and provision of latrine accommodation had to be curtailed owing to shortage of labour and materials, especially cement. Dry-earth closets had to be allowed temporarily in several areas owing to lack of drainage materials. Action in respect of closing orders and for improvement of insanitary dwel¬ lings had to be restricted to a very great extent on account of the acute shortage of housing accommodation consequent on fire-gap demolition and the requisitioning of private premises. All these factors contributed to the set-back in the state of the public health during the year under review. In a memorandum on the subject, I have already drawn the attention of the Council to the fact that there has been, as a result of the emergency conditions obtaining during several years past, a progressive deterioration, both apparent and insidious, of the sanitary conditions of the City. This is a potential danger ; and the conditions being so favourable, if explo¬ sive outbursts of epidemics were to occur, they should not be looked upon with surprise. The reports of the Special Officer, Chest Diseases ; the Medical Officer, Maternity and Child Welfare ; the City Microbiologist; and the City Analyst are attached. Town Hall, March 14,1945. C. H. GUNASEKARA, Chief Medical Officer of Health