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SECTION 28: PREVENTION OF ILLNESS, CARE AND AFTER-CARE
1. Tuberculosis.
(a) Work of the Tuberculosis Visitors. Prior to 5th July, 1948, three Tuberculosis
Visitors were attached to the Chest Clinic. When responsibility for the treatment of
tuberculous patients was taken over by the Regional Hospital Board, the Council retained
the services of two of these Visitors who, at first, did all the home visits and also
attended clinic sessions. By July, 1949, it became necessary to supplement their efforts
by part-time assistance from a Public Health Nurse on the Health Department Staff. In
1951, the increased visits due to the introduction of B.C.G. vaccination and the more
frequent use of streptomycin and other drugs for domiciliary treatment, made it necessary
to utilise this additional nurse full-time. in 1952, in order to further improve the
efficiency of the preventive work and the after-care of cases of tuberculosis, the establishment
of Tuberculosis Visitors was increased to four.
The following table shows the work done by the Tuberculosis Visitors during the
years 1949 to 1952:-

Each Tuberculosis Visitor now works with the Chest Physician in the Clinic for two
sessions weekly, (one a contact clinic and one an A.P. refill clinic) and a weekly
conference is held to discuss the various possibilities for helping the more difficult
cases. Visiting in the home with the Chest Physician has recently been undertaken by each
Tuberculosis Visitor once a month on her own area. The tracing of contacts and the education
of the tuberculous families in good hygiene is still, however, their primary duty,
and their visits are chiefly concerned with this aspect of prevention.
(b) Work of the Social Worker. Early in 1950 a male Social Worker was appointed
with the full qualification of the Institute of Almoners. Although available for care and
after-care work in any field, he has been mainly concerned with the solution of the social
and domestic problems of the tuberculous and has, in fact, acted as almoner to the Chest
Clinic.
His work has been very valuable, especially in dealing with those cases needing
detailed social therapy requiring more time and attention than it is possible for the
Tuberculosis Visitor to give.
The report of the Social Worker, Mr. N.E. Forward, for the year 1952 is given below:-
Once again it can be reported that there has been a steady increase in the volume of
work. Details are shown on the statistical summary at the end of this report.
The continuing economic limitations and the provision of half-time secretarial
assistance only, imposes a limit which cannot extend much more, on the volume of work which
can be done. Consequently, a policy of selection has had to be adopted. Those obvious
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