Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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MORTUARIES, BURIALS AMD EXHUMATIONS
MORTUARIES
The two public mortuaries situated in the Borough serve other areas
as well as Lewisham.
The number of bodies received during the year is shown below:-
Lewisham Mortuary | Deptford Mortuary | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
Bodies received from hospitals etc | 892 | 591 | 1,483 |
Others | 371 | 274 | 645 |
Totals | 1,263 | 865 | 2,128 |
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR LONG-STAY IMMIGRANTS
At ports of arrival long-stay immigrants, both Commonwealth and
alien, are referred to medical inspectors and given a pamphlet
printed in languages which they are likely to understand. This is
to encourage them to register with a medical practitioner in their
place of residence so that he can arrange for them to go to a
mass radiography unit, a chest clinic or a hospital for X-ray.
The Health Department is notified of the names and addresses of
immigrants entering the Borough with the object of ensuring that at
an early date the immigrants are made aware of how to use the
Health Service. An important aim of the department is to secure
by persuasion that those from countries with a high incidence of
tuberculosis have an X-ray of the chest as soon as possible.
The following table, based on returns made to the Department of
Health and Social Security, shows the number notified to the
department during 1972, and the number of successful visits made.
Unsuccessful visits occur where the immigrant has moved out of
the Borough and has left no forwarding address.
Country | Number of Immigrants | Number of first successful visits | |
---|---|---|---|
(a) | Commonwealth Countries | ||
Carribean | 133 | 84 | |
India | 23 | 8 | |
Pakistan | 4 | 1 | |
Other Asian | 60 | 29 | |
Africa | 115 | 74 | |
Other | 25 | 15 | |
(b) | Non-Commonwealth Countries | ||
European | 7 | 2 | |
Other | 6 | 2 | |
TOTALS | 373 | 215 |