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WELFARE CENTRES, ETC: The work at the Welfare Centres has
become very heavy, As the figures indicate, the attendances
are greater than anything experienced pre-war. The day
nurseries are always full and, happily, all has boon well with
them during the year, As a result of the inability to find
other nursery accommodation, the Council decided to commence a
play centre at Sutherland House, whore mothers doing part time
work could leave their children for 3 or 4 hours a day. The
demand for this typo of play centre has increased considerably
and already the numbers seeking admission far exceed the
capacity.
The demand for the Home Help Service has increased
considerably and the Council are contemplating appointing an
Organiser as the work entailed has now got beyond the capacity
of the Almoner's department. Apart altogether from maternity
cases and mothers requiring assistance, the Home Help Service
is doing useful work for the old folk. With the help of this
Service on many occasions I have boon able to avoid having old
people removed to institutions, thus depriving thorn of their
freedom.
DEATHS; The general death rate of 15 per thousand is high
but is to bo expected when the percentage of old people to the
young is disproportionately high. Of the total deaths of 1436
there were no less than 342 deaths occurring in persons over
65 years of ago, and as one could predict with an ago
distribution of this character, the chief causes were heart and
lung diseases and cancer. The death rate from Tuberculosis,
which is one of the chief causes of death in the younger
citizens, is certainly higher than pre-war but the figure has
remained more or loss stationary since the war.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES: As the tables of infectious diseases in
the report indicate, the number of infectious diseases which
occurred in the Borough during the year wore not unduly largo
and would have boon quite low but for an outbreak of measles
and whooping cough. There were, however, 13 more cases of
diphtheria than in the previous year. Of the total of 40
confirmed cases the majority occurred in children of the 5 year
ago group, and many of them had boon immunised in infancy.
This shows;that it is highly essential for children, who have
boon immunised in infancy, to receive a further protective
inoculation against diphtheria before attending school. When
this protective "booster" dose, as it is called, has been given
there is very little likelihood of a child contracting the
disease. There were no deaths from diphtheria. It is
interesting to not, whilst on the subject of diphtheria, that
whilst one this year. is com plaiting of 40 cases as being
abnormal and unnecessary, ten years ago I made the remark that
350 cases of diphtheria, which occurred in 1938, was not an
abnormal number. Since this time, as the Council realises,
much propaganda and work has been done in the Borough on the
immunisation of children and it is our endeavour to persuade
100% of the births to receive those inoculations.