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157
The Obstetric Unit.
Under the scheme of reorganisation detailed in my report for
1930 a whole time specialist obstetrician, who is also an assistant
medical officer of health, was appointed to take clinical charge of the
obstetric and gynaecological work of the Council.
The scheme has been working well and the work of the department
is increasing. Dr. 1). M. Lindsay, who was in charge, unfortunately
broke down in health towards the end of 1932 and has
therefore taken no part in the compilation of the statistics given
in this section.
The chief points of importance in the scheme are: (1) The
value of ante-natal in-patient facilities; (2) The essential part
played by the post-natal clinic in any maternity scheme; (3) The
increasing number of mothers who attend the ante-natal clinic or.
their own initiative or on the advice of a friend ; (4) The value
of gynaecological beds-as a part of a maternity scheme.
Ante-natal Supervision.
The numbers attending the Ante-natal Clinics at Lodge Eoad
showed a further increase during the year. Five morning sessionare
held weekly. The Health Visiting Service was most useful in
investigating cases where patients failed to keep the appointments
made.
Some midwives conduct the general part of Ante-natal care
themselves, and send their cases to the clinic at the eighth month
for particular examination. This practice is commendable as 't
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
L166 in 1930, 875 in 1931 to 1,189 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 426 in 1931 to
206. 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 appreciated
the help it had been to them.