Page 15 - The Princess Mary's Hospital 124pp book.pdf

Epidemic outbreak: (May 1957) “Epidemic outbreak of streptococcal sore throat. 498 cases between 13 and 26 May. Many food handlers in the Airmen’s Mess tested positive. Most cases treated in emergency wards in barrack blocks about three quarters of a mile from the hospital.
Polio pandemic: The worldwide polio pandemic of 1957–58 had its victims among British forces in Cyprus:
(December 1957) “The poliomyelitis case admitted on 11 November 1957 continued to make progress and was evacuated to the UK by air on 19 December 1957. A special team arrived from the UK on 15 December and spent the interval in getting the patient accustomed to the use of the cuirasse, which he found most comfortable.”
(May 1958) “Medical Division: 11 cases of poliomyelitis were notified during the month. Four, all airmen, were paralytic including one very severe case who suddenly collapsed and died after two days in the Both respirator. Two of the cases, one officer and one airman, developed an encephalitic illness without any residual paralysis, although one of them was comatose and in decerebrate type rigidity for four days.
Hospital. Renamed British Military Hospital, Cyprus in 1947, when it housed a 100-bed Jewish Wing following detention of illegal Jewish immigrants intercepted en route for Israel, until their transfer to Israel in 1948. With the outbreak of the EOKA campaign in 1955, the hospital expanded to 300 beds. Following the opening of BMH Dhekelia in 1958 BMH Nicosia was redesignated Nicosia Military Hospital. Following the cessation of the EOKA campaign in 1959 and the withdrawal of British units from most of Cyprus, Nicosia Military Hospital discharged its last patient on 15 December 1959. Details from Army Medical Magazine, April 1960, p52.
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The remaining five cases had brief meningitic illness with no sequelae. There was no pattern in the outbreak suggesting any common source of infection.”
Typhoid: (July 1958) “Three cases of true Typhoid fever were treated during the month. The patients were one of our Nursing Sisters, a Navigator on this Station and a senior officer’s wife from Episkopi... Circumstantial evidence suggested that they were all infected at a party given in Akrotiri Officers’ Mess on 4 July. The patients were treated with chloramphenicol for 14 days and all made satisfactory recoveries without complications.”
Pathology: (August 1958) “Body of a Greek Cypriot detainee brought in. Considerable adverse publicity on 16 August (day after inquest) in ‘Cyprus Mail’ and ‘The Times of Cyprus’, necessitating repatriation of RAF pathologist Flt Lt TRC Boyde for safety.”
Maternity: (February 1959) “The Maternity Department completed its first year in operation on 23 February 1959, and during this period there were 255 births, including 13 by Caesarean Section. There were no maternal deaths, but five still births and four neonatal deaths. One case of puerperal pyrexia was notified. The Department was equipped with eight beds from the time of opening until 30 October 1958, then with 10 from 1–24 November, and thereafter with 14 beds.”