Page 296 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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Doctor Matthews arrived this year and is the second Indian lady doctor now working under
the Lady Medical Officer.
(f) The Kuwait Medical Society Winter Congress—December 1949.
This was the second Persian Gulf conference to be held since its inauguration in November
1948 at Bahrain. Thirteen outside doctors attended from the Persian Gulf. Iraq and Beirut making
a total of 38 with those of Kuwait. A programme for meetings for two days was drawn up for the
first time. The demonstrations and clinical material shown were of a very high order. Meetings
were held in all three main hospitals in turn that is, the Emirie, the American and the Kuwait Oil
Company hospitals. There was extremely good organising throughout and very generous
entertaining.

Shaikh Jabir Sabah gave an opening address on behalf of His Highness the Ruler of Kuwait
welcoming the visitors and praising such co-operation in exchanging ideas in the task of alleviating
suffering.

Papers were then read by :—
Dr. Forbes, Analgesia, Emirie Hospital.
Dr. Parry, Cervical adenitis, Emirie Hospital.
Dr. Scudder, Evolution of hernia repair, American Mission Hospital.
Dr. Richards, Tendon repairs of the hand, Aminoil Co.
Mr. Allen Mersh, Intervertebral disc lesions, K.O.C. Hospital.
Dr. Young, Epidemic glandular fever, K.O.C. Hospital.
Mr. Guthrie Clothier, Surgical aspects of peptic ulceration, A.I.O.C. Abadan.
Dr. Munroe, Rectal diagnosis and treatment, Aramco, Dhahran.
Dr. Conan, Chloroquin, A.U. Beirut.
Final discussion on the formation of a Persian Gulf Medical Society which most people favoured.
It was proposed to await the result of the coming B.M.A. meeting in Basra in March and to hold the
next annual conference in the Autumn of 1951 in Bahrain.

(g) The British Medical Association Meeting at Basra, March 3rd, 1950.
Dr. E. Grey Turner (Assistant Secretary, London) came to address a gathering of doctors from
Iraq and the Persian Gulf to consider reviving the old Mesopotamian branch of the B.M.A. It was
agreed to restart the branch and Lt.-Col. C. J. A. O’Kelly was elected as the first president. The
meeting was mainly taken up in framing the constitution of the branch. It was unanimously agreed
to call it the Middle East branch and its area to cover all territories surrounding the Persian Gulf.
The usual model rules of organisation prepared by Headquarters for an overseas branch were con­
sidered and eventually passed after a great deal of discussion.

The general feeling of the Persian Gulf doctors was that the ruling was too rigid for this area
representing so many nationalities of doctors with degrees not necessarily registrable in Great Britain.
It seemed likely therefore that the Persian Gulf Medical Society to be proposed at the end of the year
would have a greater appeal by being framed on a wider and more cosmopolitan basis.
(h) Summary of the Health of the year.
The general standard of health was very high with no epidemics and diminishing malaria,
dysentery and venereal disease. Pulmonary tuberculosis was more evident due chiefly to patients
from outside Bahrain coming into the country for treatment. An unusual spell of hot weather deve­
loped towards the end of Ramadan continuing for three months. This resulted in many heat
exhaustion patients some of whom died.