Page 95 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

13

ten to twenty persons are constantly decanted from sailing dhows on out of the way
parts of the coast and it is only occasionally that the Government authorities are
able to catch them. These persons immediately go to the Bahrain Petroleum Company's
camp and many of them, stating that they were born and bred in Bahrain, obtain
work as coolies. During the last two or three years several thousand Persians
have arrived in Bahrain, attracted by the possibility of finding work in the oil fields.
There is no political motive in their coming, they come because conditions are bad
in their own country.

Public Health.

The medical work done by the Bahrain Government during the year consisted
chiefly of maintaining free public dispensaries in different parts of Bahrain for men
and women. Although these dispensaries and clinics are not in charge of very highly
qualified persons they do a great deal of good in the towns and villages where they
are situated and people who would not come into Manama for attention can obtain
medicine and treatment from the local clinic.
Muharraq Dispensary. The dispensary is in a hired house in the bazaar in
charge of an Indian doctor who has been in employment of the Bahrain Government
for over 14 years. The building is not very suitable and when the work can he
undertaken it is proposed to build a new dispensary.
Total outpatients 3S27
„ operations 145
Suk al Khamis Dispensary. This dispensary, which is new, is situated on the
edge of Bilad al Qadim close to the Government school. It is in charge of an
Indian doctor who besides attending to patients at the dispensary visits the
neighbouring villages on certain days and treats people. He is provided with a Ford
pick-up in which he t »urs the villages.
Total outpatients 8421
„ operations 101
Hedd Dispensary.
In charge of a local Arab who has had some experience with the American
Mission. The standard of this dispensary is not up to the other two.
Total outpatients 3522
„ operations 58
Women’s Clinics. Three trained midwives, one in Muharraq, and two in
Manama, in addition to their midwifery work, also conduct clinics for women and
children. Each year the work of the trained midwives is increasing in spite of
prejudice and superstition.
In Manama a house has been rented next door to one of the clinics so that
maternity cases may be treated as in-patients. The newer clinic, on the edge of the
western quarter, which is the brothel area, is used considerably for the treatment of
venereal diseases. Unfortunately the nurse in charge was absent owing to illness
during part of the year and died soon after returning from hospital In Iraq.
A new development in this direction is the weekly child welfare clinic in the
married lines at the Fort where about fifty of the Policemen’s families live.
The total number of patients dealt with at the three women’s clinics during
the year was 11,032. Total labour cases 40. Indoor patients 23.
Anti-Malaria Measure*. At the end of the year Major M. K. Afridi of the
I. M. S , visited Bahrain and carried out preliminary investigations concerning the
prevalence of malaria with a view to advising the Bahrain Government on anti-
malaria measures. His preliminary report was not received during the current year.