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child welfare; and in October, 1937, the Council decided to
inaugurate Post-natal and Gynaecological Clinics to be held once
a month at each of the municipal maternity and child welfare
centres. Dr Helen Jardine, M.D., Ch.B., M.M.S.A., was appointed
medical officer in charge of the special clinic.
In December, 1937, the Council decided:—
(1) that for a period of one year the dispensing service be
free in all cases where in the opinion of the Medical
Officer of Health the patient is unable to afford the
cost;
(2) that arrangements be made with three firms of chemists
in the area to dispense such drugs as may be ordered ;
(3) that at the expiration of one year the Medical Officer
of Health submit a report on the cost of the drugs, etc.
With regard to the procedure adopted, the register of births is
scrutinised regularly by Dr. Hilda Menzies, who extracts the names
and addresses of all mothers who have been confined at home under
the care of a midwife, in Forest Gate Hospital, or in a nursing home
where the services of a doctor have not been booked for the confinement.
A letter is then sent to these mothers inviting them to attend
at the post-natal clinic in order to ensure that they have completely
recovered from the effects of their recent confinements. No such
invitations have been sent to mothers who have booked private
medical attendants for their confinements, or to those who have
occupied maternity beds in Queen Mary's Hospital.
With the valuable help and co-operation of Dr. Menzies and
Dr. Jardine, arrangements were made for the inauguration of the
post-natal clinic services at Park House Centre on 12th January,
and at Leyton Green Centre on 18th January, 1938.