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13
Infected school children, together with their contacts of
pre-school age, have been followed up in the home, and facilities
(for all ages) have been made available at the Medicinal Baths.
Advice is always given as to the best methods of home treatment
and of preventing recurrence.
The treatment and cleansing of persons from the Boroughs
of Ealing, Richmond and Southall is also undertaken at the
Disinfecting Station and Medicinal Baths. Assistance was
further afforded to four other local authorities during the year.
On 59 occasions the West London Hospital used the services
at the Medicinal Baths. Arrangements also exist between this
Council and the Borough Councils of Ealing and Barnes for the
disinfection of bedding.
The mobile team which is available for dealing with homes
that require treatment, was again actively engaged and during
the year 233 premises were sprayed for bed bugs and fleas (595
rooms) and 39 premises for infectious disease (57 rooms). This
shows the considerable decrease of 37% in which disinfestation
or disinfection was required.
Following notification of vermin infestation or infectious
disease, bedding and articles of clothing, etc., were collected
from 111 premises and removed to the Disinfecting Station for
sterilisation, and particulars are summarised in a table in the
Statistical Supplement.
Certificates of disinfection are issued when required to
enable clothing, etc., to pass through foreign customs. In this
connection 52 certificates were issued after sterilisation of 805
articles.
Health Laundry.
Two years have now elapsed since the introduction of the
health laundry scheme.
The rapidly increasing demand for the service from all those
sections of the community with whom the aged people in particular
are a vital problem, proves its valuable aid in the
alleviation of distress and suffering of those ill, with a consequently
sooner restoration to their former state of health. It
also provides help to the people on whom the sick depend for
bodily needs, with a better opportunity to give those services
to the full advantage of the patients and with less inconvenience
to themselves. This help is of inestimable gain.
Requests are received from doctors, nurses, welfare associations,
relatives and friends, and all are carefully considered and
sympathetically approached from both medical and social
aspects.
In view of the precarious health of many of the patients and
the fact that a general improvement in condition is usually seen,
results can be considered as most satisfactory. The personal
nature of the Council's assistance to these necessitous people
reminds them that their needs are not forgotten and for this they
are more than grateful.