Annual report of the Medical Department / Nyasaland Protectorate.

  • Nyasaland. Medical Department.
Date:
[1951]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

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    Midwives Board 63. Three meetings of the Board were held during the year. A notable event was the completion of a Midwifery text-book in Chinyanja by Dr. Gwen Dabb of the Church of Scotland Mission in Blantyre. The illustrations were drawn by Mrs. Percival of Cholo. Both these ladies are members of the Board and their work in this connection will be of the greatest benefit to the Training Schools now in existence in Nyasaland and to the African Midwives and student Midwives of the Protectorate. The text-book will be available early in 1952. 64. The organization of Supervisory Authorities in the Territory continued throughout the year and there is now a supervisory body for each district in which African Midwives are in practice. The Board has adopted a standard list of equipment for these district Midwives which is considered to be efficient, within the means of the average midwife in practice and easily transported in a basket carried on the head. 65. During the year the Education Department advised that the output of African girls with a Standard VI education warranted the establishment of a course of training in the English medium. With this in view the Midwives Ordinance, 1946 and the Mid wives Rules, 1947 were amended and a new syllabus of training adopted. In the first instance the course of training will be conducted at the Zomba African Hospital while the vernacular training will be continued at Mission Training Centres. This latter step is essential if the supply of district Midwives is to be built up to a level adequate to the needs of the community. Further, only married women are acceptable in the villages as midwives and it is difficult enough to get candidates literate in the vernacular for this purpose. The Standard VI girls who are mostly unmarried will be posted to the Government Hospitals when they have qualified, as there is not this prejudice to be overcome in the practice of institutional midwifery. The course for Standard VI girls started at the Zomba African Hospital in October, 1951. Nyasaland Branch of the British Red Cross Society 66. The Branch continued to give invaluable support to the Mission and Government Hospitals in the Protectorate. The Divisional Work Parties maintained a steady supply of hospital requisites to the Missions engaged in medical work. 67. With the aid of the Society the list of blood donors was brought up to date and the system of calls re-organized. Particularly valuable work in this direction has been done amongst the African community. 68. Members of the Zomba Division started weekly afternoon sessions of occupational therapy at the Zomba African Hospital and this has proved to be a most successful and beneficial activity. Mat¬ making and knitting have been very popular amongst the patients who have shown a keen and appreciative interest. 69. The Branch has maintained a supply of dried milk to hospitals and maternity and child welfare clinics. Gifts of refrigerators, Trilene Inhalers, baby scales, blankets and linen have been made to Mission hospitals. A “ Red Cross Medical Loan Department ” has been started in a small way and baby scales and an invalid chair have been purchased for this purpose. 70. The year marked an increase in the work of the African sections of the Branch which has been most encouraging. African First Aid and Home Nursing Detachments were formed in the Lilongwe and Zomba Divisions and Officers of the Department gave instruction to the Detachments. Great keenness has been shown by the Africans and the first examinations are to be held early in 1952. 71. This brief review only attempts to indicate the valuable work that is being done by the Nyasaland Branch of the Society and it is a pleasant duty to record appreciation of the great support received from the Society throughout the year. Nyasaland Council of Women 72. The Council continued to show an active interest in the work of the Department. The Zomba Branch made a gift of a wireless set and six sets of earphones which were installed at the European Hospital, Zomba. British Empire Society for the Blind 73. Miss Joan Vickers, m.b.e., visited Nyasaland on behalf of the Society during March, 1951. As a result of this visit a Nyasaland Committee of the British Empire Society for the Blind was formed which is representative of all sections of the community. Its terms of reference are to encourage action to prevent blindness; to bring education, employment and welfare to the blind and to assist the work of the Society in Nyasaland; to raise and administer any funds collected and to undertake such tasks in connection with work for the blind in Nyasaland as may be referred to the Committee by Government. The first meeting of the full Committee is due to be held early in 1952. Trypanosomiasis Committee 74. The Committee met once during the year when a progress report on the Tsetse Fly Survey financed from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds was considered. In addition, the priorities for reclamation were reviewed and the utilization of land freed by reclamation schemes discussed.