Notes and statistics on hospitals and dispensaries in Burma.

  • Burma.
Date:
[1917]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes and statistics on hospitals and dispensaries in Burma. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/48 (page 4)
    the staff can now be done while conditions imposed by the war prevail. The work of the Police Surgeon has increased so much that he does not find time to attend to Pathological work for which plenty of materials are available. The creation of a separate appointment as Pathologist appears necessary after the war is over. The X-ray and Electro-Therapeutic method of treatment was adopted in the case of 1,365 persons in 1917, and the number of X-ray photographs was 895 against 801 in the year previous. The work in the dental department also shows an increase, no less than 1,482 patients having been treated in 1917 against 1,345 in 1916. The students of the Burma Government Medical School, Rangoon, have also been given practical training in this department. The Laundry depart¬ ment has given complete satisfaction ; but owing to higher cost of washing materials, there was a slight increase in the working cost: 472,239 pieces of hospital linen were washed during the year 1917 against 470,704 in 1916. The discrimin¬ ation scheme continued to be worked satisfactorily. The cost of upkeep of the Rangoon General Hospital was Rs. 4,31,323 or Rs. 23,287 more than in 1916, as very many articles required for the treatment and nursing of patients had to be got at very high prices. 13. Vaccinal Condition of Small-pox Patients.—Out of the 158 cases of small-pox treated at the Contagious Diseases Hospital, Rangoon, 113 were vaccinated and 45 were not vaccinated. The number of deaths among the protected cases was 3 or 2*7 per cent., while the number of deaths among the non-vaccinated cases was 5 or 111 per cent. Of the 50 cases (which excludes 4 suspects) treated in the Moulmein Hospital, 29 were unprotected of whom 8 (or 27 6 per cent.) died, the number and death rate among the vaccinated being 2 and 9’5 per cent., respectively. Nine cases of small-pox were treated at Mandalay, 4 at the Contagious Diseases Hospital and 5 at the Civil Hospital with no deaths. All the 9 were vaccinated. Thirty-nine persons were treated at the Mergui Hospital, of whom only 13 bore marks of successful vaccination. None of the latter died, while 11 deaths occurred among the unprotected cases, the mortality rate being 42*3 per cent. 14. Burmese Nurses.—There were under training in 1917, 10 pupils in the Rangoon General Hospital and 3 in th6 Mandalay Hospital. Proposals are under consideration to have the number of pupils increased from 3 to 6 a year in the Mandalay Hospital. Four of the pupils in the Rangoon General Hospital have passed their examinations. The Rangoon General Hospital gave training also to 20 pupils sent by the Dufferin Hospital. 15. Results-Syslem Midwives.—In the year under report 8, have passed their final qualifying examination. As usual, 10 new pupils were received at the Dufferin Hospital, Rangoon, in 1917 for training in midwifery as the nominees of certain local bodies, and of these three had to be sent away owing to inability to follow the lectures, and the rest are now undergoing training. 16. Pasteur Institute.—Three hundred and thirteen persons underwent a full course of anti-rabic treatment at the Burma Pasteur Institute, Rangoon, in 1917. The patients came from as many as 52 places, and of these 34 were Europeans and Anglo-Indians, 75 Burmese, 3 Chinese, 136 Hindus, 44 Mohamed- ans and 21 “ Other nationalities.” 17. General.—There have been no changes in the cadre of sanctioned appointments in the Medical Department except in the case of Sub-Assistant Surgeons, where, by the abolition of the appointment of the second Sub-Assistant Surgeon for the Civil Hospital, Yamethin, a reduction of 1 in the cadre was effected. During the year under review, 1 Indian Medical Service Officer, 2 Military j\ssistant Surgeons, 8 Civil Assistant Surgeons and 52 Sub-Assistant Surgeons wrere deputed to Military duty. The number of Sub-Assistant Surgeons on the rolls at the beginning and at the end of the year 1917 was 360 (inclusive of 3 temporary men) and 385 (including 7 temporary men) respectively against the sanctioned cadre of 378 and 377 on the 1st January 1916 and the 31st December 1916. 18. Conclusion.—My thanks are due to the various officers and subordinates of the Medical Department who, in spite of adverse circumstances imposed by the war, have as a rule continued to carry out their duties satisfactorily. P. C. H. Strickland, Colonel l.M.S., Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Burma.