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36
greater part of the year, and the following figures give details
of the routine work carried out by them:—
Total number of bookings 411
Total confinements attended 283
No. of hospital cases supervised ante-natally and post-
natally 134
No. of visits: —
Ante-natal 2593
Post-natal 4813
Arrangements have been made for all municipal midwives
to be supplied with cars, and, at the end of 1947, two had already
been delivered and taken into use.
DOMICILIARY MEDICAL PRACTITIONER SERVICE
(MIDWIFERY).
It was not found necessary to utilise this service during the
year, and this fact is due, mainly, to the high proportion of
confinements which took place in hospitals, which have their
own routine ante-natal and post-natal medical examination
services.
In addition, all women who were confined at home were
required to attend for the necessary medical examinations at
the Council's ante-natal clinic, and were, in addition, adequately
supervised both ante- and post-natally by the municipal midwives.
ADMINISTRATION OF ANALGESICS.
All midwives (both municipal and institutional) practising
in the Borough are qualified in the administration of gas and air
analgesia.
The Local Authority provides training facilities, when
necessary, in order that midwives may qualify, and two
municipal midwives attended the two weeks' course during 1947.
Two sets of gas | air apparatus are provided by this Authority
for use by midwives at domiciliary confinements, but difficulties
of supply at the present time have not made it possible to
provide each municipal midwife with her own apparatus.
The difficulty of transport of the equipment has, to some
extent, been met by allowing midwives, who have not yet been
provided with a car, to use taxis.
There were 10 administrations of gas and air analgesia at
domiciliary confinements during the year.