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Tuberculosis Care Committee.
The Tuberculosis Care Committee on which voluntary and official
bodies are represented, and whose meetings are attended by the Medical
Officer of Health, continues to supply help to tuberculous persons
and to relatives who require assistance which cannot be obtained from
official sources or where urgency or special circumstances indicate
that the voluntary sources of the Care Committee are preferable.
Although tuberculosis is slowly but surely being conquered, the
public should realise that much help is still needed to be given to
persons suffering from the disease.
During the year assistance was given to needy persons by way of
grants towards clothing, fuel, removal expenses, holidays and fares
for relatives visiting patients in hospital. The Care Committee
again provided a day's coach outing to the seaside in the summer and
Christmas gifts to 50 patients.
The Annual Christmas Seal Sale Fund amounted to £176 and this was
supplemented by donations from various organisations, for which the
Care Committee is most grateful. Where possible grants were obtained
from statutory and voluntary funds, but where these could not be
obtained the funds of the Committee were used.
Help was also obtained from appropriate sources for patients who
were attending the Chest Clinic suffering from chronic bronchitis or
lung cancer. The number of these patients is increasing and many are
in need of help and advice.
Whooping Cough.
Confirmed cases notified during the year numbered 31, the figure
for 1960 being 223. There were no deaths from the disease.
Infections Disease Contacts.
Where a person is precluded from continuing at work by reason of
being a carrier or having been in contact with an infectious disease,
benefits under the National Insurance Act, 1946, are paid only on
production of a certificate from the Medical Officer of Health. It
was not found necessary to issue any certificates during the year.
Authentication of International Certificates
of Vaccination and Inoculation.
A person proceeding abroad is required in certain countries to
produce a certificate of recent successful vaccination and inoculation,
and, in addition, the signature of the vaccinating doctor must be
verified by the Medical Officer of Health of the district. During the
year, the signatures on 720 certificates were verified as those of
medical practitioners practising in Stepney and the certificates
endorsed accordingly.
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