Report of the Provincial Board of Health / Province of British Columbia.

  • British Columbia. Provincial Board of Health.
Date:
[1936]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Provincial Board of Health / Province of British Columbia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/44 (page 16)
    “ Contact-finding.—Contacts examined, 150; contacts to be traced (names already obtained), 80; total, 230. “ Identifying Information obtained.—Social histories taken, 310; new address obtained, 800; interviews taken, 930; referals to other clinics and physicians, etc., 25. “Transportation Allowances (monthly).—Provincial Relief, 40; Vancouver City Relief, 284; other Relief Departments, 24; Clinic Funds, 34. “ Follow-up Letters.—Men’s Clinic, February 5th to March 1st, 1937: Letters sent out, 75; patients reclaimed <as a result, 35; letters returned (no other information obtainable), 3. “ Women’s Clinic, November 20th, 1936, to March 1st, 1937: Letters sent out, 350; satis¬ factory results (reclaimed, receiving treatment elsewhere), 115; letters returned (to be traced), 80. “ Other letters re patients, 150. “ The following improved methods of clinic administration have been adopted: Recording of actual cases attending so that the size of the clinic may be kept at that commensurate with efficiency. A control system of attendance and follow-up procedure has been established to such a degree that many patients now voluntarily notify the clinic when they are unable to attend. Requests have been received from private physicians to help them in their follow-up procedure and several notices of lapsed cases have been sent in. Patients leaving the city or Province are now referred to other clinics and doctors and a record of their reinstatement under treatment is obtained. “ The fourth function of the Social Service Department—namely education—has been carried out to quite an appreciable extent. This has been done not only among patients and staff, but also with students who have been referred for experience. These include nursing students from the Vancouver General Hospital registered for a month’s experience in social service, arts students from the University of British Columbia undertaking a project on venereal-disease control, and in ithe near future students in social service from the above- mentioned University. “ The greatest problem appears to be that of co-ordinating venereal-disease control with the existing health and welfare agencies. This matter, so far relatively untouched, will under the new arrangements doubtless prove less formidable. “ Perhaps the most satisfying piece of work done by this department has been the building-up of a children’s clinic from one or two children to a regular attendance of between thirty and forty. Over and above this number, 112 children have been examined since October 1st, 1936, seventy of whom have been discharged as having no evidence of venereal disease. “ The foregoing report has shown what has been accomplished in the department’s formative period when the pressure of work undoubtedly hindered the establishment of definite policy. Much better results may be expected and should be obtained in the near future when the Provincial plan is set in motion.” As mentioned before, a good deal has been accomplished in the short time since the creation of the Division, and much remains to be done. I sincerely believe, with the continued co-operation of the various departments of the Provincial Government and the medical profession, that rapid strides will be effected within the next year. Respectfully submitted. S. C. Peterson, M.D., Director. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORT. Victoria, B.C., November 2nd, 1936. H. E. Young, B.A., M.D., C.M., LL.D., Provincial Health Officer, Victoria, B.C. Sir,—I have the honour to submit herewith a report of the epidemiological work for the first nine months of 1936. The reason for presenting the report at this time is that I have received an appointment with the recently formed Metropolitan Health Board of Vancouver and am relinquishing my duties as Epidemiologist with the Provincial Board of Health.