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47
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
The work carried out during 1937 under the Council's maternity
and child welfare scheme can conveniently be reported upon under
the following headings :—
(а) Infant welfare, ante-natal, post-natal, actinotherapy and dental clinics,
and day nursery.
(б) Health visiting.
(c) Provision of maternity hospital accommodation, midwives and
wifery assistance, supply of sterilised maternity outfits, arrangements
for investigation of maternal deaths and cases of puerperal fever and
puerperal pyrexia, consultants for difficult maternity cases, homes
for mothers and children, home helps and nursing assistance.
(d) Provision of milk and other foods to necessitous mothers and children.
(e) Child life protection.
INFANT WELFARE, ANTE-NATAL, POST-NATAL,
ACTINOTHERAPY AND DENTAL CLINICS,
AND DAY NURSERY.
As stated in my Annual Report for 1936, the Maternity and
Child Welfare Committee of the Council have given considerable
attention to the need for improved facilities for carrying on the
maternity and child welfare work of the Borough, and in 1937 the
specially built and equipped welfare centre at No. 136, Richmond
Road was opened and has replaced the centre previously carried
on in the Wesleyan Chapel Schools, Mayfield Road. Other developments
in connection with the maternity and child welfare scheme
have been the acquisition of premises in Elsdale Street in order to
secure a site for the second new centre to be built at a cost of
£9,727, excluding furniture and equipment. This centre, which
it is anticipated will be opened in November, 1938, will replace the
present centre carried on at the Hampden Chapel, Lauriston Road.
Negotiations are also proceeding with a view to the building
of a centre in Brooksby's Walk, to replace the centre now held at
the Grove Mission, Brooksby's Walk. The centre at St. Michael's
Hall, Northwold Road, is to be replaced by one to be erected by the
London County Council on the site of the Northwold Road
clearance area and leased to the Borough Council for a period of
40 years at a rental of £540 per annum. This centre has been
planned to provide sufficient accommodation for the purposes of a
school treatment centre in addition to that necessary for carrying
on ante-natal, post-natal and infant welfare sessions. The accommodation
needed for the purposes of the school treatment centre will
be sub-leased to the County Council.
Consequent upon the opening of the Richmond Road Centre,
the Committee of the Hackney Mothers' and Babies' Voluntary
Centre decided to relinquish the use of Vernon Hall, Florfield Road,