[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Port Talbot Borough.

  • Port Talbot (Wales). Borough Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Port Talbot Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    > 1* BOROUGH OF PORT TALBOT. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Port Talbot Corporation Mr. Mayor, Mrs. Nicholas and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present the report on the public health of the borough for the year 1949* It is compiled in accordance with the instructions of the Welsh Board of Health. I hope that it will add to your understanding of the present and future public health problems which face the Council and the appropriate officials. In addition to the environmental health services, such as housing, water supplies and food hygiene, and certain aspects of the control of infectious diseases, which are the responsibility of the Council, I have also included a general outline of other health and social services which are important to the citizens of the borough but are not under your control. In 1943, the administration of the local maternity and child welfare services passed to the Glamorgan County Council and thus a detailed description of these services, a feature of previous reports, has been omitted. Prom a local public health aspect, 1949 was, in a number of respects, a disappointment. The mortality rates were higher than in the previous year. The increase in the general death rate was of no real significance but the considerable increase of the infant mortality rate was unsatisfactory. Tuberculosis continued to be a serious problem and though there were five fewer new patients than in 1948, the number of deaths increased by four. I would have liked a stronger attack on this scourge. Despite the past agitation, no tuberculosis clinic was established at Port Talbot and the long v/aiting lists for sanatorium treatment lessened the hopes of an early cure for many patients. A small outbreak of infantile paralysis during the last three months of the year caused some anxiety. The disease was prevalent in other parts of the country during the summer and early autumn but the first case at Port Talbot did not occur until the 21st. of October. The first two cases were fatal; seven further cases recovered but most had some residual disability. Despite much research work, medical science is still baffled by this disease. Later in the report, I have described the operation of the National Health Service in this area. The main and very worthy purpose of this service, which was inaugurated