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.

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    General Health and Sanitation—The general health of patients has been satisfactory. There were no outbreaks of acute infectious diseases. A proper standard of sanitation of the grounds and buildings was maintained despite the problem of pit latrines which often gave rise to considerable nuisance in spite of intensive supervision. DDT residual sprayings were carried out by the Malaria Division twice during the year. Admissions, Discharges and Deaths - No. of patients in Leprosarium at 31st December, 1951 No. of new admissions during 1952 35 358 No. of re-admissions during 1952 27 62 420 No. of discharges during 1952 59 No. of deaths during 1952 14 No. of absconders during 1952 4 77 Total number in Leprosarium at 31st December, 1952 343 Positive cases admitted were mostly of the lepromatous type. Others were of the reacting tuberculoid type and these were very few. Construction Work—Patient labour continued to be employed wherever possible in construction or maintenance work with the Works and Hydraulics Department, in maintenance of sanitation, nursing, cooking, sewing, &c. Education—Education of children at the Settlement continued to be satisfactorily supervised. Several visits were paid by officials of the Education Department and there was one special lecture on art given by the Art Officer. Clinics : (a) Eye and Teeth—The Eye Specialist and Dental Surgeon continued to pay fortnightly visits to the Leprosarium. These services are undoubtedly a great boon to the patients, and contribute in a large measure to the good health enjoyed by them. A number of minor operations was also done by the visiting surgeon. (b) Out-Patients Clinics—Out-Patients Clinics were maintained throughout the year. Clinics were visited by the Superintending Medical Officer as follows :— These Tragarete Hoad St. Joseph and Tunapuna clinics Couva and San Fernando clinics Every week Twice per month Once per month Two hundred patients attended these clinics as follows :— Tragarete Road St. Joseph ... Tunapuna ... Couva San Fernando 40 30 25 45 60 200 Diets—The Senior Catering Officer visited the Leprosarium on several occasions, advised on proper preparation of diets, &c., and arranged for two cooks from the Leprosarium to take a special course of training at the Port-of-Spain Colonial Hospital with very beneficial results. Treatment—Four sulphone preparations have been in use during the year, viz., Diasone, Sulphetrone, Diamino-diphenyl-sulphone (D.A.D.P.S.) and Thiosemicarbasone. Laboratory—Bacteriological examinations for— M. Leprae Institution Clinics Haemoglobin Institution Clinics Faeces (worms) Institution Clinics Urine Analysis Kahn Test O.G. Sputum Tuberculosis Blood Malaria Blood Count Sed. Index Positive Negative 1,448 317 15 312 — 1,820 — — 215 22 173 36 48 — — 397 2 21 = 23 1 5 = 6 — 21 = 21 — 41 = 41 — — 220 — —■ 3 Discharge and Rehabilitation Several applications from discharged patients for loan from BELRA to assist in building homes were received. Many of these applications have been granted. The Welfare Officer succeeded in getting some of the discharged patients placed in jobs. Visiting Committee—'The Leprosarium was visited three times during the year by a visiting committee and sevei al improvements have been made in the settlement as a result of recommendations submitted by the committee, one such improvement being the procuring of an X-ray for use here.