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9
PROTECTION AGAINST WHOOPING COUGH.
The Council's scheme for the free inoculation of children against
whooping cough continues in operation.
The number of children attending the Council's clinic for protection
against whooping cough during 1946 was practically the same as in
the previous year. The antigen used is alum precipitated whooping
cough vaccine which requires only two injections and which can be
given at the same time, if necessary, as the diphtheria prophylactic
used.
TYPHUS SCHEME.
During the year intimation was received from the Ministry of
Health that it was no longer considered necessary to make special
provision for the treatment of typhus fever. The use of the premises
in Mullin's Path taken over from the disbanded Civil Defence Services
as an emergency cleansing station for disinfestation of typhus fever
contacts was consequently relinquished.
HOME HELPS SERVICE.
The scheme for home or domestic helps is operated by the clerical
staff of the Public Health Department, under supervision of the
Medical Officer of Health and with the assistance of the Health visitors.
Upon receipt of an application for home help at a home confinement
the attendance is provisionally booked, assessment of charges made
and applicant advised of the cost. When the applicant has signified
acceptance, the midwife, or doctor, is given a note of the name and
address of the home help so that she may be called immediately the
necessity arises. One month before the anticipated date of confinement
the health visitor for the area calls and fixes the hours of attendance
of the home help throughout the two weeks she is to attend.
In cases where requests for assistance are required for reasons
other than confinement at home, applications have to be accompanied
by a medical certificate and attendance of a home or domestic help is
normally automatic, provided the reason is sufficiently urgent and
comes within the scope of the scheme. If no help is available the
whole of the cases being attended are reviewed, assessment of the
urgency and priority of each case is made and attendance adjusted
in order to include the new case. In nearly every instance it has
been possible to provide some help.
Each home help works a 47-hour week, 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Mondays to
Fridays, Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Although these are the
routine hours, exception is made wherever a definite necessity arises
to work other days and hours. Few instances have occurred where