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100
It is well to voice our needs and desires; insistent demands, if we
have patience and persistence will, we feel sure, be effective in time,
provided of course that our wants are reasonable and practical. An
instance which proves this is the fact that Grove Park Hospital has
been opened recently, and now we have within easy reach a hospital
for advanced cases. The need for this as some of our readers will
recollect has been urged by Care Committees at Conferences and
meetings for a very long time.
During this year 174 cases have been recommended for treatment
and referred to the Care Committee. The action taken in such cases
has been defined in previous reports. Most of these are new patients,
adding to the number already under our care. Assistance has been
needed in many cases, outfits of clothing have been provided, and other
forms of help obtained where necessary from the various organisations
who are so good to us. We have no fund of our own, but perhaps in
our weakness lies our strength. The interest taken and co-operation
extended by every social body in Deptford makes our work much
easier. Our requests are seldom refused, and though at times, it is
gently insinuated that we are somewhat soft-hearted our unanswerable
argument is that the rain of the Committee's kindness must fall upon
the just and the unjust, and that a patient whose character is perhaps
not quite above reproach needs, say clothing, to go away with, just as
much as our "just man." Under any circumstances, much must
be forgiven to those who either are suffering, or will inevitably suffer
in the future.
The Committee endeavours to keep in touch with all patients
returning from sanatoria. The interest shown is appreciated, and as
time goes on our people begin to look upon the Committee as friends to
whom they may come for advice and sympathy. In numbers of cases
returning home after treatment, we have to watch them gradually losing
strength. All we can do is to keep an eye on them and see that
conditions are made as easy as possible, under so often difficult circumstances,
as the last stage approaches, and if the patient has a special
desire to remain at home, we make use of that very excellent scheme
for boarding out any children there may be. As can be imagined, this
side of the work is saddening, seeing the sufferings of both patients and
those who love them, arouses a vast pity and a great longing that all
should know how terrible a thing this dread disease called tuberculosis