Annual report of the Department of Public Health, Province of Alberta.

  • Alberta. Department of Public Health.
Date:
[1943]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Department of Public Health, Province of Alberta. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/336 (page 21)
    In the following table a summary of the work of our District Nurses is shown: No. of homes visited . 2,894 No. of office visits . 21,906 No. of dressings . 4,089 No. of medical cases . 12,981 No. of surgical cases . 2,969 No. of obstetrical cases . 279 No. of abortions . 59 No. of pre-natal visits .. 298 No. of pre-natal consultations . 1,409 No. of child welfare visits . 322 No. of cases sent to hospital . 891 No. of Pertussis vaccinations . .‘15 No. of Smallpox vaccinations . 2,330 No. of Scarlet Fever inoculations 446 No. of Diphtheria inoculations . 9,764 No. of Typhoid inoculations . 232 No. of Communicable Disease cases . 837 In addition to the 39 nurses employed on the staff of the Department, there are 18 Public Health Nurses serving- on the staff of our District Health Units. We have been most fortunate in our nursing: personnel. Since the war a great many stall changes have taken place. In many cases it has been exceedingly difficult to find suitable replacements but in spite of these dif¬ ficulties the efficiency of our nursing service has been well maintained. Travelling Clinic. Owing to the impossibility of obtaining the medical, dental and nursing staff required, the Travelling Clinic did not operate in 1943, and there appears to be little prospect of resuming this service until the medical, dental and nursing personnel required is available after the war. Social Hygiene. Four clinics were conducted by the Division of Social Hygiene, one in each of the four larger cities. In addition, a clinic is held in each of the Provincial Goals at Lethbridge and Fort Saskatchewan. The diseases under treatment in all clinics during 1943 were as follows: Syphilis 414, Gonorrhoea 602, Non-Venereal 581, Chancroid 1, making a total of 1,598. Educational work in connection with venereal disease preven¬ tion has been conducted along the same lines as in previous years. During the year 25 lectures were given to approximately 4,500 persons. We are planning on an expanded educational pro¬ gramme with the employment of the additional personnel re¬ quired for more intensified follow-up work. It is a matter of great satisfaction to report the splendid co-operation which has been given by physicians, various local Boards of Health, the R.C.M.P., and local police authorities. Three additional venereal disease clinics were established in the fall of 1943, one at High Prairie, one at McLennan and one at Peace River. Through these clinics much needed facilities for treatment of venereal disease cases have made available, thus enabling the Division of Social Hygiene to exercise the necessary control. In addition, special instruction has been given to several of our District Nurses in the treatment of venereal disease patients and in regard to methods of control. We have had splendid co-operation from the Royal Canadian Air Force and from the Military and Naval authorities in con¬ nection with the activities carried on by our Division of Social Hygiene. We have also had very fine co-operation from the American authorities in this work. A number of staff confer-