Annual report of the Sarawak Government Medical Department.

  • Sarawak. Medical Department.
Date:
[1948]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Sarawak Government Medical Department. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/80 (page 3)
    the implementation of schemes for expanded services, but it was not found possible to fill this establishment and there were still many vacancies by the end of the year. Recruits to the nursing service were relatively more plentiful than dressers and the number was very nearly up to the full extent of accom¬ modation available in the Nurses’ Home at Kuching to which a new wing providing accommodation for twelve nurses was added in the early part of the year. An additional wing to accommodate twenty- four is projected for 1949 and when completed the Home will have accommodation for fifty-four. The nursing service is, however, unbalanced in that the pro¬ portion of trained nurses is as yet too small. So much so that, to staff Sibu Hospital, it is necessary to send probationers there for six monthly periods. This is only temporary, of course, and will be righted when sufficient nurses are trained in Kuching to staff Sibu Hospital per¬ manently. In the meantime it is important to obtain a Nursing Sister for Sibu to continue ward teaching of probationers there. In spite of staff shortages it was found possible to send a senior staff nurse to England, on a scholarship under the Colonial Develop¬ ment and Welfare Scholarship Scheme, to take the full nursing course in the United Kingdom. Also two Health Assistants were sent to Singapore to take the course for the examination for the Certificate of the Royal Sanitary Institute and a local man, on a Government scholarship, was sent to attend the dentistry course at the King Edward VII College of Medicine, Singapore. Training of Staff. During the year much attention was given to developing training of probationer dressers and nurses on formal lines. Many difficulties were encountered owing to low educational standards of recruits and shortage of teaching staff. Nevertheless, progress was made especially from September when the senior of the nursing sisters was detailed to full time duty as Sister Tutor. Improvement in theoretical work became obvious but practical work remains unsatisfactory as ward teaching is weak. The syllabus of training has been drawn up as far as practicable on orthodox United Kingdom lines and, although at present standards are not high there is reason to believe that in time there will be con¬ siderable improvement. Formal preliminary examinations were held twice during the year, the first in February, and the percentage of passes was encouraging. The first final examination will be held early in 1949. Training of health inspectors remains unsatisfactory in the absence of senior staff with suitable experience. Thus, in the meantime, it is perforce necessary to send men to take the course of training in Singapore after a period of service in the department in Kuching. When a Sanitary Superintendent becomes available it should be possible to train them locally to the standard required to sit the Royal Sanitary Institute Examination in Singapore.