Page 184 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol II

169

(//) Medical and Quarantine
149. In 1939 the Government of India opened a dispensary at Dubai and
provided the services of an Indian Sub-Assistant Surgeon, the expenditure involved
being shared with His Majesty’s Government.
150. In 1941 His Majesty's Government and the Government of India agreed
to contribute jointly a sum of Rs. 5,000/- towards the cost of a hospital leaving a
balance of Rs. 8,000/- to be raised by local subscriptions.C”") Unfortunately no
action was taken at the time but during and after the war a fund was raised for the
hospital from local contributions and from profits on the sale of cereals and the
local commodities. After Her Majesty’s Government took over responsibility
for the Persian Gulf Residency all expenditure on the dispensary was debited to
this fund.
151. In 1949 the services of a British doctor were obtained and paid for from
the fund, His Majesty’s Government only contributing £45 a year for attendance
on the Agency staff at Sharjah. A hospital was then built at a cost of about £28,125
and was formally opened by the Ruler in 1951 and called the A1 Maktum Hospital
after his father.C39) Most of the fund was used on the building and equipment of
the hospital and some difficulty has been experienced subsequently in obtaining the
money required for its maintenance and the pay of the British doctor and his staff.
At the end of 1952 the annual expenditure was estimated at Rs. 75,000 towards
which the Ruler of Dubai was contributing Rs. 40,000 and about Rs. 10,000 was
obtained from fees.(M0) Regular contributions on a much smaller scale have been
promised by the other Rulers and Her Majesty’s Government made a grant of
£2,000 for expenditure on capital equipment in the financial year 1953-54. The
hospital is managed by a Committee of which the Rulers are members.
152. In 1953 a representative of the Red Cross Society visited the Trucial
Coast and the Society subsequently undertook to equip and despatch a mobile
dispensary to work there for one year, in the hope that it would be possible for a
local branch of the Society to be formed to take it over after that. The Political
Resident has reported that there is little possibility of such an eventuality.C41)
153. The quarantine service on the Trucial Coast is administered by the
Medical Officer in charge of the Dubai Hospital and the expense is borne by the
Hospital Fund.C3) Generally speaking only steamers arriving at Dubai and
Sharjah and aircraft arriving at the Sharjah airport have to comply with quarantine
formalities. Vaccination is carried out amongst the local population on as wide
a scale as possible.

(/) Nationality Law and Travel Documents
154. The indiscriminate issue of travel documents by some of the Rulers
raised the question of inducing the Rulers to enact nationality laws. The matter
was discussed at the meetings of the Trucial States Council and as none of the
Rulers was able to make any concrete suggestions it was proposed that a simple
nationality law should be drawn up on their behalf and that they should be
persuaded to enforce it.("a) A law was drafted but it was subsequently decided
that it was inadvisable to present it to the Rulers until the boundaries of their
States had been more clearly defined. Apart from the question of boundaries the
matter is complicated by the uncertain allegiance of some of the tribesmen and
the difficulty of deciding in what circumstances the large number of Persians
residing on the Trucial Coast should be regarded as having acquired local
nationality.
155. The Rulers started issuing their own travel documents in 1952 owing
to the heavy fees recovered by the Saudis from travellers carrying British passports
or identity certificates. These documents are only recognised on the Arab littoral
of the Gulf and in India and Pakistan. Subjects of the Trucial States do not require
visas when visiting Bahrain, Qatar and Muscat provided they hold valid British
travel documents. They have to obtain visas if they travel on the Rulers'
documents.
('**) Tel. from I.O. to G. of I. 12812 of October 12. 1941 (E 6682/2858/91 of 1941).
P”) P.R. toF.O. Despatch 129 of October 27. 1951 (EA 1798/1 of 1951).
(Mu) P.R. to F.O. 1794/3/53 of January 14. 1953 (EA 1793/1 of 1953).
(m) P.R. to F.O. 1793/39/53 of December 7. 1953 (EA 1793/23 of 1953).
C45) P.R. to F.O. Despatch 50 of June 17. 1949'(XS 10/91 (9/49) of 1949).
("') P.R. to F.O. Despatch 45 of May 14. 1953 (EA 1015/3 of 1953).
46639 z 2