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162
morning sessions are held weekly, and at three of those sessions
the Obstetric Officer attends along with a Lady Medical Officer.
This arrangement has proved useful as a double opinion is available
in difficult cases.
There was a large increase in the number of cases and attendances
as compared with the preceding twelve months. The increase
in the number of subsequent attendances was due, partly
to the actual increased number of new cases and partly to an
effort to see all cases once a month during the earlier months of
pregnancy, bi-monthly in the penultimate month, and weekly
during the last month. The Health Visiting Service was most useful
in investigating cases where patients failed to keep the appointments
made.
There was noted a tendency on the part of some midwives to
conduct the general part of Ante-natal care themselves, and to send
their cases to the clinic at the eighth month for particular
examination. This practice is commendable as it keeps the midwife
in more intimate touch with her patient, and gives her, at the
same time an obstetric opinion formed at that period of gestation
when examination is most informative. Many such cases pay only
the single visit.
It was gratifying to record an increase in the numbers of
patients who came on their own initiative. The figure rose from
266 in 1930 to 875 in the year under review. This increase was
effected chiefly at the expense of the cases sent by the Public
Health Services, those having fallen from 556 in 1930 to 426 in
1931. It should be pointed out, however, that very many of the
patients who came of their own accord were old patients who
attended the clinic in earlier pregnancies and who had appreciate'!
the help it had been to them.
Medical Practitioners sent 124 cases as against 36 in the previous
year. In this group again many visited once only for medical
opinion or a prognosis.
It was possible to trace 936 of the cases to their conclusion, in
comparison with the 307 traced in the previous year. In the traced
cases there was an abnormality rate of 16.5% which is higher than
the 1930 rate of 13.5%. This increase rate is probably due to the
greater effort to trace cases, and to the establishment of post natal
clinics which encourage the abnormal cases to report back.
It should be noted that 717 cases were not traced and it is reasonable
to presume that most of those terminated normally. The cases
known to have been abnormal would be just over 9% of all cases
attending.