Report of the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services / [Ceylon].

  • Ceylon. Civil Medical Department.
Date:
[1949]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services / [Ceylon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    63/178 (page 61)
    Remained on 31-12-48 Admitted in 1949 Total cases observed Discharged in 1949 Died in 1949 Transferred to M.H. Remained on 31-12-49 H 0 U S 6 of 0 b 8 6 TV Cl 110 ? I Males 162 1,478 1,640 253 19 1,273 95 Females Total 81 . . 243 723 . . 2,201 804 . . 2,444 117 . . 370 12 . . 31 625 . . 1,898 50 . . 145 During the year under review, 1,898 patients were admitted to hospital and ,201 to the House of Observation as against 2,702 and 2,639 during the year 948. Of this number, 4,470 were treated in 1949 as against 4,412 treated in 948, The number of patients treated is more or less the same as in 1948. The umber of certified cases discharged was 1,338 as against 1,585 in 1948. Of le cases admitted to the House of Observation, 370 cases were discharged s being of sound mind as against 304 patients in 1948. According to the following table it will be noted that there is a steady increase i the number of patients in this institution : — Patients remaining in Hospital at the end of last Three Years 1947 1948 1949 Males Females Total 1,573 . . 884 . . 2,457 1,656 . . 1,159 . . 2,815 1,668 .. 1,097 . . 2,765 The extent of overcrowding at this hospital can be readily assessed from the bove figures in view of the fact that the institution was designed to accom- aodate 1,800 patients only. The Villas at this hospital have been throughout ecupied by patients and in view of the demand for this type of accommodation y a certain class of patients, a proposal was put forward to house four patients n a villa instead of the present system of accommodating two patients. Patients dischargedl as Recovered Males Females Total (а) Certified cases . . . . 193 154 347 (б) Uncertified cases . . . . 253 . . 117 . . 370 The certified cases discharged as recovered were with the approval of the Minis¬ ter of Health, while the uncertified cases were by the District Judge as the )atients were adjudged to be of sound mind after the period of observation tnd treatment. The majority of cases admitted to this hospital were in a chronic md advanced stage and fit to be kept under proper care and control only. Nevertheless, every attempt was made to relieve them of their mental symptoms is far as possible by the modes of treatment carried out in this hospital, fihe recovery rate must therefore necessarily be low. The following table gives the incidence of infectious diseases at this hospital: Cases Deaths 1948 1949 1948 1949 Dysentery 99 70 . . 29 . . 24 Typhoid Fever 23 6 9 . . 1 Phthisis 67 51 . . 54 45 Chicken-pox . . 377 . . 457 — . . —. Mumps . . — 48 . . — . . — There were no major cases of infectious diseases, but chicken-pox is prevalent it this hospital throughout the year. In the absence of isolation wards, patients are isolated in over-crowded wards where contact with other patients- is a common feature. In the circumstances, it is impossible to bring this infec¬ tious disease and others under proper control. The only solution is to isolate them in a separate ward at the I. D. H. if such an arrangement can be made. Otherwise, a separate isolation ward for infectious diseases should be constructed within the hospital premises.