Annual report of the Medical Department / Nyasaland Protectorate.

  • Nyasaland. Medical Department.
Date:
[1953]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Department / Nyasaland Protectorate. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/38 (page 6)
    A. Work of Boards, Societies and Committees Advisory Board of Health 40. The Board did not meet during the year, no legislation or matters of public health importance having been referred for its consideration. Towards the end of 1952, the Board had lodged certain objections with the Governor in Council to the memorandum by the Blantyre and Limbe Town and Country Planning Committee on the “ Principles of Town Planning, Blantyre and Limbe High Density Residential Areas ”. These objections w^ere mainly concerned with the system of sanitation proposed for the high density areas and with the standards of accommodation to be adopted for African bachelor labour. 41. The Board’s objections were upheld and as a result the Governor in Council directed that water borne sanitation should be provided in these African High Density Areas. A Consulting Sanitary Engineer from the Union of South Africa was commissioned to visit the townships of Blantyre/Limbe, Zomba and Lilongwe and to submit an outline plan and estimates of costs for the sew'erage of these townships. The consultant visited Nyasaland during April and submitted his Report during August. After consideration of the Report by Government, priority wras given to the Blantyre and Limbe High Density Residential Areas for Africans. Midwives Board 42. The Board met twice during the year to conduct routine business in connection with the examinations. Three candidates sat and passed the examinations held in March; during September 34 pupils from seven training centres entered for the examinations for the vernacular grade of midwives, that is, midw ives Class III. Of this number 26 passed and eight failed. The first group of pupil mid¬ wives trained in the English medium at the Zomba African Hospital entered for Class II midwives examination. Of the three girls w ho sat, two passed and one failed. 43. The future of this course of training is still uncertain as there has been considerable difficulty in getting a sufficient number of Standard VI girls to enter the course. Factories Board 44. The constitution of the Board was altered in that the Commissioner for Labour took over the Chairmanship from the Director of Public Works, and the Factories Inspector became a member of the staff of the Labour Department. The Board met three times during the year. 45. Occupational diseases as such are not yet of major public health importance in Nyasaland and working time lost from industrial injuries is relatively little. All industrial injuries are repox’ted to the Chairman of the Board and only 26 notifications of injuries were received throughout the year, the majority being injuries to the hands sustained in tea factories through carelessness and disobeying safety instruc¬ tions. There was only one fatal accident, an African builder who died as a result of a fall from the roof of the newly constructed Blantyre and Limbe Power Station. •Central Labour Advisory Board 46. The Board met three times and the most important business conducted was the detailed consider¬ ation of the African Employment Bill. This Bill deals comprehensively with health safeguards and medical care of African workers in scheduled emplo^yment. The Workmen’s Compensation Ordinance was applied by notice in the Government Gazette to workmen employed in all occupations throughout the Protectorate. Nyasaland Branch of the British Red Cross Society 47. The invaluable support given by the Branch to the Mission and Government Medical Services is again a subject for grateful comment. The seven Divisions of the Branch maintain work parties that make and distribute comforts and medical requisites to Mission hospitals, clinics, and leprosaria that the Divisions have “ adopted ”. The African membership of the Branch is growing steadily and three Divisions now' have work parties of African women. 48. First-aid lectures were given at a number of centres and a first-aid detachment was started in Zomba. This aspect of the w'ork is becoming increasingly popular amongst Africans, particularly at the Government training schools for medical and health auxiliaries. In this way a cadre of certified instruct¬ ors is being built up who will be available for the expansion of the instruction in first-aid in the districts. 49. The diversional therapy, started at the Zomba and Lilongwe African hospitals, has been •continued and is a source of great benefit to the patients. They look forward eagerly to the weekly classes and a variet}^ of attractive articles is now being made and purchased by the patients themselves at a price covering the cost of materials. 50. More work was done on the organization of the Blood Transfusion Service. The lists of donors were brought up to date and during the civil disturbances a small reserve of blood was banked for emer¬ gencies. Fortunately, little was needed, but the organization worked smoothly and was of great assistance. 51. There are now five Junior Links in the Protectorate with a membership of 135, an increase of 66 <luring the year.