Page 101 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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usefulness was increased by lectures and by demonstrations on nursing including lessons in English
which were given by the Director of Education. Though many probationers showed promise they
required more individual attention than could be given to them with the present limited staff. It
has been decided to recruit three British Nursing Sisters to take charge of the differe-' departments
who will help to train local staff.
Number of Staff. 1,361. 1.362.
Trained female nurses . 8' 4
Trained O.P.D. nurses . 3 1
Probationer nurses 8 6
Female servants 10 14
Trained male nurses 8 4
Dressers senior .. 14 14
Dressers probationer 13 16
Sweepers (wards only) . 10 10
It is hoped that girls from Bahrain will eventually realise the prospects, interests and usefulness
of a nursing career though up till now it has been almost impossible to find suitable candidates for
this profession.
During the year over 2,000 articles were made by the hospital sewing woman and over 150 by
the hospital tailor. Linen supplies which were obtained before the war arc wearing out and much
time and work was spent on repairs.
In spite of rationing and supply difficulties the food supplied by the hospital has been kept at
a high level. One of the chief difficulties was ensuring regular supplies of pure milk as the local sellers
invariably try to water it. The work of the Indian dhobis has fallen off to such an extent that it
became necessary to consider building a dhobi ghat in the hospital grounds where the washing
work could be easily and closely supervised.
Pilfering, especially from the women’s hospital, continued. Prevention is difficult as it
is believed that women visitors are the culprits as they can remove linen and other articles under
their clothes.
The Service Wards continue to run smoothly and the staff are grateful for the help which is
given by the R.A.F. sisters in these wards.
LAND REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
During the year 871 registrations were carried out of which 660 were sales, 53 were gifts. 118
were registration of titles and 25 were auction sales by order of courts. Approximately Rs. 13,000
was collected in fees which exceeded the budgeted amount by Rs. 4,000. This increase was mainly
due to the higher value of properties. The total number of registrations was 100 more than
in 1,361.

Property values during the year continued to rise, this was especially noticeable in the case of
house property in Manamah and date gardens. Owing to the influx of foreigners, all desiring
to find houses, and the impossibility of erecting new houses because of the lack of building materials,
the value of houses of a type suitable for letting has doubled during recent years. Date gardens have
become a profitable investment, for the time being, owing to the high cost of dates. Gardens near to
Manamah arc the most valuable but in some cases gardens far distant from the town have recently
changed hands for more than twice the price which was obtained for them two or three years ago.
Many local merchants continue to invest the profits which they make in the bazaar in property, this
has been seen especially in the case of Persians who obtained Bahrain nationality. The only com­
munity which never purchases land or house property in the country is the Indian community.
A number of barasti dwellings are built upon land owned by the Government for which the
land owners pay ground rent, the number of plots leased during the year was 242, the majority of
them being in Manamah.