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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    SECTION IX—HOSPITALS, CLINICS, DISPENSARIES, HEALTH CENTRES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS A list of Hospitals, Health Centres and Dispensaries will be found in Appendix II, Tables V and VI. Colonial Hospital, Port-of-Spain Maternity Department—In the Maternity Department there were 4,659 admissions and 2,670 deliveries. 417 deliveries performed by contract midwives in the district brought the total number of internal and external deliveries to 3,087 which included 2,903 live births and 179 still births. There were 76 neonatal deaths, 31 maternal deaths, 49 multiple births and 707 abortions. The following conditions continued to be prevalent in the Maternity Department :— (a) Ankylostomiasis (b) The Toxaemias of Pregnancy (c) Eclampsia occurred much too frequently. The great majority of these cases did not attend antenatal clinics (d) Antepartum and post-partum haemorrhages occurred frequently and accounted for many deaths (e) The incidence of abortions is still very high. Criminal interference plays an important part in causing abortions. Eight hundred and forty-six operations were done during the year. Attendances at clinics were as follows :— Ante-natal clinics ... ... ... ... 2,704 new cases 14,351 old cases Post-natal clinics ... ... ... ... 850 Neonatal clinics ... ... ... ... 2,172 At these clinics treatment including X-ray where indicated was provided. Radiology Department—In the Department of Radiology 15,030 X-ray examinations were done on 14,938 patients. Of this number 7,177 were for bone injuries and 2,813 for infections of the lungs. Superficial therapy was given to 60 patients who totalled 364 visits. Eye Department—The Eye Department attended to 5,596 new patients and 7,689 old patients and provided 1,690 prescriptions for glasses. During the year 551 major and 224 minor eye operations were performed. Physiotherapy Department—In the Physiotherapy Department 11,853 treatments were given 994 patients including 750 out-patients were admitted. Total Operations—The total number of operations performed at this Hospital amounted to 3,720. Hospital Dues—The sum of $19,153.77 was collected from Hospital dues during 1952. Almoner's Department—The Almoner’s Department interviewed 2,146 patients during the year, supplied 1,123 spectacles and 133 surgical appliances including artificial limbs, belts and braces, collected a total of $4,856.22 and worked with several statutory and voluntary organizations giving assistance to hospital patients. Nursing Staff—The nursing staff at the end of the year consisted of 24 ward sisters, 96 staff nurses and 166 student nurses. Colonial Hospital, San Fernando Work on the new hospital continued. Improvement in repairs and maintenance of buildings was effected by the Works and Hydraulics Department. The Female Surgical Ward was temporarily vacated. On the advice of the Works and Hydraulics Department and owing to the threat of erosion caused by heavy rain fall and excavation of adjacent lands, the British Red Cross Society kindly permitted patients to be hospitalized in the Red Cross Hut near the entrance to the Hospital. Out of a total of 13,743 persons treated during the year, 12,294 were discharged. 1,016 babies were born in hospital. The daily average number of patients amounted to 1,358. Of the number of deaths recorded at the hospital 360 occurred within 24 hours and 609 within the first week of admission. 3,179 operations were performed at the hospital. The sum of $20,479.24 was collected from hospital dues as against $19,855.32 in 1951. The total expenditure for the year amounted to $831,059.28 as against $680,552.82 in 1951. There were 12,658 X-ray examinations as compared with 12,962 in 1951. While the number of actual examinations was less the work in the Diagnostic Department increased and the number of treatments in the Therapeutic Department was higher than in 1951 because patients returned for follow-up treatment. The ten out-patients clinics as in 1951 continued to operate during the year, viz., Medical, Diabetic, Male and Female, Surgical, Fracture, Gynaecological, Ante-Natal, Chest, Eye and E.N.T. Clinics. A grand total of 10,911 new patients attended these clinics and 13,637 old patients followed up their treatments during the year under review. During the year 43,721 prescriptions as against 42,738 were attended to at the Hospital Dispensary. The Registration and Assessment Department, the Dietary Department and Almoner’s Department continued to assist actively in the work of the hospital. The nursing staff at the end of the year consisted of 16 ward sisters, 34 staff nurses and 147 student nurses.