Page 259 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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intended should reach deep water. The work was dropped in 1923 and the end of the
pier was faced with stono in 1924. The present and final extension has been under
consideration from that time.
C. Stale Hospital. The building of the hospital has made slow progress. It was
hoped that by the end of the year the women’s hospital would be in use but it has not
yet beon opened. Owing to the situation of the hospital at one end of the town in a
secluded neighbourhood surrounded by houses on three sides the extent of the
building is not generally appreciated. The four blocks consisting of out-patients’
dispensary for men and women with the Medical Officer’s flat above, the women’s
hospital with Lady Doctor’s and Matron’s flats above, the men’s hospital and the
administrative and surgery block will eventually cover a ground area of over 31,000
squaro feet and all the buildings are two storied. This hospital is the largest
building in Bahrain and, I think, the largest building in the Persian Gulf.
The dispensary was completed during the year. It is divided into two parts
for men and for women which necessitated duplicating most of the rooms. Male
and female patients are attended to at the same time and arrangements have been
made to ensure the privacy of the women’s rooms.
In the women’s hospital the two fiats and the nurses’ quarters wore completed
with the exception of some fittings in the latter. The first floor of this hospital was
ready for use at the end of the year and the ground floor was nearing completion.
The wards in the women’s hospital are 14 feet high and are provided with
large windows and clear story ventilators. Walls up to a height of 5 feet and all
the floors are made of green “Terrazo’. This is the first time that flooring of this
type has been used in a government building in Bahrain. All woodwork is made of
teak wood. There is a central water heating system for the whole hospital and hot
and cold water is laid on in every ward. The verandahs, which are 12 feet wide, are
enclosed with mosquito wire, though unfortunately, owing to the dampness, it has
been found to have a short life in Bahrain. There are four special wards for one or
two beds with private European-6tyle bathrooms attached. The doctor’s and
matron’s flats consist of sitting room, dining room, bedroom, dressing room,
kitchen, pantry, etc. On the ground floor there are rooms for Indian nurses, with
oominon rooms, dining room, and bathrooms and kitchens.
The water supply for the whole hospital comes direct from the main flow of
an artesian well in the neighbourhood and is lifted to tanks on a 30 feet high water
tower by an electric engine. Electricity is supplied from the nearest sub-station by
an underground cable. It is not proposed to install an air-conditioning plant but
some separate air-conditioning units will be used in certain wards.
The men’s hospital is similar in style and construction to the women’s
hospital. The structural work on the ground floor was completed at the end of the
year with ward accomodation for about 40 beds but flooring, plastering and wood­
work has not been begun. It is not proposed to commence the first floor at preseut
until part of the administrative block has been built. Only the foundations of the
administrative block have been completed. All the hospital buildings are of solid
stone with walls 2 feet thick. The foundations are, on an average, from 10 to 12
feet deep. This excessive depth was necessary as the ground on the site consisted
of loose sand and rubble. The unusual depth of the foundations has added very
greatly to the cost of the buildings, a fact which cannot be appreciated by the
ordinary observer.
D. The Fort. During the year the eastern wall was rebuilt and work on the
north east tower was begun. The tower will be similar to the one at the north-west
corner, but will contain a large store on the ground floor. Before building had
started most of the old tower and part of the wall had fallen down and for some
months it was possible to walk through the walls into the Fort.
A new barrack room, with accomodation for about 30 men, was built and the
main entrance and guard room were re-roofed and repaired.