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Tuberculosis Dispensaries.
57
Soon after the Committee was established it was apparent
that the value of the work it could carry out would be increased
materially if funds were available. As no grants from public
funds were provided, certain members of the Committee decided
to organise a Voluntary Fund. A considerable amount of success
has attended these efforts, and a fund has been established. This
fund is not intended to assist families in their living expenses, as
other organisations are available to grant assistance of this nature,
but the money collected is utilised to help cases of Tuberculosis
in other ways.
Owing to the success of the Christmas Seal Sale, the Committee
have made arrangements with the Trustees of Maitland
Cottage, Barton-on-Sea, to maintain two beds for the use of patients
resident within the Borough of Wandsworth. Twenty-two adults
and two children were sent away for convalescent treatment during
1935 at a cost of £115 1s. 2d.
Financial assistance is also given to relatives to enable them
to visit patients who have been away under treatment for three
months or longer, as it is often found that after that time the
patient becomes restless and wants to come home. The visit
from a relative often does much good, and the patient agrees to
continue under treatment. These cases are investigated and
assistance is only given where it would be quite impossible for
the relative to afford the fare. Financial assistance to patients
and relatives amounted to £117 7s. 1d.
An important duty of the Committee is to supply patients
going to an Institution with clothing. Many of them are short
of the clothing requirements of the Institution, and it is frequently
a difficult problem to get them fitted out properly. Much time is
spent by members of the Committee in collecting articles of clothing
from their friends, and a certain proportion of the funds have also
been expended in this direction. About 70 per cent. of the cases sent
to Institutions were supplied with the articles required from the
clothing store.
Some of the patients who are being nursed at home are unable
to obtain essential articles of medical equipment. Medical
and nursing requisites, comprising air and water cushions, bed
rests and feeding cups have been acquired by the Committee