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75
County Borough of East Ham Education Committee.
TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
Ladies and Gentlemen,—
I have the honour to present my Annual Report upon the
School Medical Service of the County Borough of East Ham for
the year ended 31st December, 1927.
The average school attendance during the year approximated
closely to 19,000.
The number of routine and special cases examined of elementary
school children totalled 11,122, as compared with 13,707 in
11926, and a complete medical inspection of all children in the
Secondary School has also been carried out.
The activities of the Service have increased and widened considerably
since its inception twenty years ago, and the general
beneficial effect upon the health and physical condition of the
children is very apparent in the statistical data presented with this
report. In the past five years the percentage of children found at
routine medical inspection to require some form of medical or
surgical treatment, has dropped from 19'7 to 8'6, and although the
latter figure appears to be in some degree remarkable, and may be
exceeded in the forthcoming year, it is very encouraging to note the
evident downward trend in the number of defective and unhealthy
children ir the schools.
The installation of the necessary apparatus for the purpose of
carrying out both general and local ultra-violet radiation has been
one of the decided forward steps during the year, and the results
obtained have more than justified our hope of promoting a marked
physical improvement in delicate and ailing children.
More satisfactory accommodation for the Dental Clinic has
been provided, but, unfortunately, only by removing to more
distant quarters, a fact which complicates efficient and economical
administration and tends to hamper the ideal of complete coordination.
In this latter connection perhaps I may be permitted