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The artificial immunisation again&u Diphtheria
has been continued, but the number of immunisations has not
reached the standard desired, although every effort has been
made by the School Medical Service and the Maternity and
Child Welfare authority, to place the advantages of
immunisation before parents and guardians. The number of
children immunised at fit the clinic during the year has been
276, and I have to. express my best thanks to Dr. Stephen, the
School Medical Officer', for her good work and assistance in
this connection.
The small clinic and cleansing station established
in 1942 for the treatment of scabies, has done good work,
having dealt with ISO new cases, and given 376 treatments.
The cost of running this clinic, has been merely nominal, the
only outgoings being for medicaments, fuel and light, and
keeping the premises (requisitioned for civil defence purposes)
clean. The actual work of treatment has been done voluntarily
by members of the' local Red Cross organisation, working under
the direction of Mrs. King, an industrial welfare nurse, and
their good work has been much appreciated. Since the
commencement, the clinic has treated 320 cases in all", to a
successful conclusion, and as this ailment tends to be one of
the causes, of absence from work, and school, it has made a
substantial contribution to the, war effort, especially where
those cases of, sepsis would ordinarily have kept the patient
away from work or school for a long period. .
The ambulance service has now been severed from
the Fire Service, and is run by civil defence workers, and
Satisfactory arrangements have been made for mutual assistance
with adjoining authorities, should the ambulances of either
not be immediately available for work within the district.
The Womens Voluntary Service, by way of the car
pool, has also been made use of for the conveyance to hospital
of the patients' of private medical practitioners., on the
certificate of the Medical Officer of Health.
I attach the usual tables of statistics,, which
show that the essential public health work has been performed
well by a reduced war-time staff, working under difficult and
handicapping conditions.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
W.W. Millien. M.B. Ch.B.
Medical Officer of Health.
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