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7
The Chest Physician has given me an excellent account of the
work done at the Chest Clinic and this is included in the body of the
report. I have also included an account of the visit of the mass
miniature radiography unit and the figures indicate the value of this
screening measure. I wish a larger proportion of the population
had made use of the facilities.
Deaths from Cancer have increased by 32 to 198. An increase
in the deaths from Cancer of the lung and bronchus has been established
and I have discussed this fact at length in the report. Indeed
the increase since 1946 has been remarkable and affords grounds for
concern.
The routine work of the department has proceeded smoothly.
There were over 19,000 inspections and re-inspections of premises
during the year. There are great difficulties associated with the
maintenance of properties in p, reasonable state of fitness in present
circumstances. Legislation concerned with repair and maintenance
is inadequate to permit the Health Department to discharge an
important function effectively, to look after the comfort and needs
of the tenant, and, at the same time, not to place a crippling and
unfair burden on owners of properties which have outlived their
usefulness or cannot be repaired economically at present costs.
When taking action regarding closure or demolition many factors
have to be balanced very carefully with available local housing
resources and the large number of people in need of accommodation
and on the waiting lists. In this connection it is gratifying to note
that 369 new dwellings have been built by the Council during the
current year.
Last year I mentioned the part I thought preventive medicine
should play in a health service and I ventured some personal criticism
of the emphasis placed on cure rather than prevention. I
suggested that the "cure outlook" dominated our profession by
reason of glamour, spectacular achievements and even perhaps by
tradition. The health service fulfilled a great need and is a blessing
to the sick and to their families but few would state that there is
less sickness as a result of the expanding curative services. Is not
this problem being tackled from the wrong direction ? People should
think in terms of health and not disease.
In commenting on certain aspects of the public health service
which are no longer under the Council's direct control, I am conscious
of labouring under a disadvantage. To avoid comment
even of a general character is to evade the issue and impair the usefulness
of the report. To comment adversely is easy when not
accompanied by personal responsibility but a dreary succession of