Annual medical and sanitary report of the Department of Medical Services / Trinidad and Tobago.

  • Trinidad and Tobago. Department of Medical Services.
Date:
[1952]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Annual medical and sanitary report of the Department of Medical Services / Trinidad and Tobago. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/60 (page 9)
    Malaria Control The two major projects of malaria control in Trinidad during the year continued to be the spraying of bromeliads with copper sulphate and residual spraying of houses with DDT. In addition temporary control measures were carried out throughout the Colony, especially at Maracas Bay, Blanchisseuse, Cocorite and Piarco. (a) Bromeliad Malaria Biche and Flanagin Town were the two focal districts treated throughout the year and excellent results continue to be obtained. No definite signs of regeneration of Gravisia aqualega have yet been noted in any of the treated districts. The usual investigational and experimental plots and observations continue to be carried out. (b) Residual DDT Programme The residual DDT Programme which was again extended to include new areas continued satisfactorily. Areas sprayed were as follows: — Project Spraying started Spraying completed Popula¬ tion No. of houses sprayed Remarks Piarco (including Oropuna, Madras, Kelly 7th January, 1952 ... 2nd July, 1952 14th January, 1952 ... 26th July, 1952 5,285 1,057 Twice sprayed St. Helena) Matura 14th January, 1952 ... 19th January, 1952 ... 2,625 668 New sections included California 4th February, 1952... 9th February, 1952... 3,448 552 Moruga 11th February, 1952... 16th February, 1952... 1,776 438 La Brea 5th March, 1952 5th April, 1952 14,382 2,743 Cedros 7th April, 1952 19th April, 1952 6,822 1,291 Laventille (including 21st April, 1952 19th July, 1952 49,382 7,702 San Juan) Manzanilla 21st May, 1952 2nd June, 1952 6,251 1,298 Fyzabad 28th July, 1952 16th August, 1952 ... 9,839 1,922 Mayaro (including 18th August, 1952 ... 6th September, 1952 5,671 1,424 Guayaguayare) Two sections not completed Chaguanas (including Couva) 8th September, 1952 15th November, 1952 35,420 7,205 Erin 17th November, 1952 29th November, 1952 2,571 642 Princes Town 1st December, 1952... 20th December, 1952... 16,593 1,389 The following institutions, districts, &c. Colonial Hospital, Port-of-Spain Mental Hospital, St. Ann’s Caura Sanatorium s.s. Trinidad s.s. Tobago Cascade also sprayed :— Colonial Hospital, San Fernando Masson Hospital Leprosarium Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture Deaf and Dumb Institute Maraval Districts were Miscellaneous Spray Can Service This service was satisfactorily maintained throughout the year. Lectures and Training Courses—^Talks on malaria and its control were given to schools and nurses and also to a number of clubs during the year. A few Sanitary Inspectors from the Windward and Leeward Islands were given training courses. Visitors—Among visitors to the Malaria Division were Dr. E. Van der Kuyp, m.d., m.p.h., d.t.m. & H. of the Bureau of Preventive Medicine in Surinam ; Mr. Gordon Carter of the UNICEF ; Dr. Francois Vitauza of the Malaria Division in Venezuela ; Dr. A. Paoliellio of P.A. Medical Centre, N.Y.; Mr. Marston Bates of the Rockefeller Foundation ; Dr. R. B. Hill also of the Rockefeller Foundation on his annual visit ; Mr. John S. Neiderhauser of the Rockefeller Foundation in Mexico ; Mr. E. Magoon, Consulting Engineer of the R.F., also on his annual visit; Dr. P. de Caires of P.A.S.B., Jamaica ; Miss Alice Shaffer of UNICEF ; Mr. J. A. Simpson, Sanitarian of WHO ; Dr. Charles of the Mosquito Control Service in B.G. and Mr. McDermott and Mr. Phillips of Jamaica, B.W.I. Tobago : Malaria Eradication Programme—The Malaria Eradication Programme was satisfactorily executed throughout the year. Every house in the Island was sprayed twice during the year with either 5 per cent. DDT in kerosene or benzene hexachloride. Larval and recheck surveys demonstrated that the larviciding programme was being efficiently executed and trap captures were negative over prolonged periods. Venereal Diseases Control Division Throughout the year all sections of the V.D. Control Division worked at full pressure. A number of new features was introduced such as lectures for a special group of patients, refinements in the system of patient management in the Diagnostic Clinic, a Red Cross Canteen for staff and patients, &c. In addition routine procedures in a number of instances were improved, e.g., the increase from one to two weekly lecture-film shows for patients, revision of the treatment schedules and modification of the technique of inoculating culture plates in the examination to detect the gonococcus with the result that more than twice the number of tests were done as compared with 1951.