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59
The number of attendances at the Dispensary during
the year was 3583, the number of individuals being 1240
and out of the attendances 3041 were for examination,
the remainder being for supervision, advice or "after
care" purposes.
Notifications for 1932 totalled 190 as against 180
for the previous year, and the number of deaths registered
98.
Although some figures are slightly raised in comparison
with the previous year,others are less, noticeably
the contact attendances which dropped about 27%,
partly due to the fact that the actual number of family
contacts were considerably less, and partly to indifferance
or fear in others of coming up for examination.
The Dispensary Staff have, as hitherto, been unrelaxing
in their efforts to get contacts to attend but
being an entirely voluntary act, it is occasionally very
difficult to impress on young and apparently healthy
people the advisability of submitting themselves for
examination.
Dispensary Procedure.
Cases attending the Dispensary fall into four groups :
(a) Observation cases. Those sent up for diagnosis by
medical practitioners or, having no regular medical
attendant, coming up on their own initiative. Certain
cases of this group are now frequently referred to the
Tuberculosis Officer by the District Medical Officers of
the Public Assistance Committee.
(b) Dispensary Supervision cases. Notified patients who
have had various forms of treatment, and whose condition
requires periodical examination and supervision
at the Dispensary or home by the Tuberculosis Officer.
(c) General Supervision cases. Old notified patients in whom
the disease is quiescent or arrested, and who only
require examination or supervision at fairly lengthy
intervals.
Working patients, both men and women, come under
the last two groups and for these the evening clinics are
specially devoted.