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Schools. Strict supervision and swabbing of contacts was
carried out, and inspection and swabbing in classes was
undertaken, 'l'wo healthy carriers were isolated, and no
further cases were reported for nearly three weeks, when a
fresh crop occurred without apparent cause. Similar action
was taken and one carrier isolated.
During the Christmas Holidays St. John's Schools were
disinfected, and all scholars were medically examined on the
reopening of the Schools on January 7th, 1929, the result
being that two positive children were isolated, and no cases
of Diphtheria have occurred during January and February,
1929.
The virulence of the infection has varied greatly, a
large number of cases being extremely mild, while, on the
other hand, some were very severe. During the year six
deaths were caused by Diphtheria among children attending
the Public Elementary Schools.
FOLLOWING UP.
The following-up of children suffering from defects is
carried out by the School Medical Officer and School Nurses,
aided in some instances by the Teachers and Attendance
Officers.
The School Medical Officer completes a Following-up
Card for each child found defective, and he re-examines the
child on re-visiting the School each term until satisfactory
treatment has been obtained.
In more urgent cases the child is seen at the Clinic at
more frequent intervals.
The various duties of the School Nurses were set out
in detail in the Annual Report for 1925, and the following
table specifies some of the work carried out by them during
1928.
Number of children prepared for Routine Medical
Inspection 1,842
Number examined at Schools for uncleanliness 18,638
Number of following-up home visits 589
Total number of visits to the Schools 736
Total number of Clinic Sessions 376
The Central Aid Society has helped in obtaining letters
for hospitals, etc., in cases where the parents cannot afford
to pay, and also in sending children away for convalescence
to the seaside.