Page 230 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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WOMEN’S HOSPITAL AND DISPENSARIES.
(By Dr. I.M.A. Doeg, Lady Medical Officer.)
In spite of a very severe summer 136.1 was a good year as regards health. There were no
epidemics, and there was very much less dysentery than in previous years.
The women’s hospital continued to be very much understaffed. Throughout the year
endeavours have been made to recruit nurses from India, but with no success. With the end of the
war it is hoped that it will soon be possible to get Indian Nufscs now that the needs of the Army arc
less, and with an increase in staff a brighter future for medical work among the women of the Island
may be anticipated.
A step forward has been made in sending one probationer for training in Baghdad, and it would
be a good policy to continue to send probationers after they have been tried out here. In this way an
entire service of nurses may be built up from amongst the people of the Island and the hospital can
become independent of outside recruitment. This would also be an advantage from the point of view
of language, and from the greater understanding of the temperament and habits of the patients by
girls taken from their own midst.
The Dispensaries
Suk al Khamis. The patients attending this dispensary come almost entirely for treatment
for worms, and as there was no Santonin available last year they could not be supplied. Great
indignation was the result, culminating in the door being taken off its hinges one day in the crush of
discontented patients. It was therefore decided to close the dispensary until such time as supplies
of Santonin could be obtained. This has now been done, and the dispensary was re-opened at the
beginning of Dulqaada after having been closed ten months.
Muharraq. A different problem occurred in relation to the Muharraq Dispensary. In the
early part of the year the staff problem became so acute that it was found impossible to keep a resident
nurse in Muharraq. The weekly clinic on Thursdays was continued, but people coming on other
days and finding no one there spread the news that the dispensary was closed, and only a few regular,
chronically ill patients continued to attend the weekly clinic. Fortunately this has now been remedied.
An Indian Sister joined the staff and although she could ill be spared from the hospital, she was sent to
Muharraq to supply an urgent need. Meantime considerable alterations were made in the building
at Muharraq. Rooms of which the building was unfinished were completed, rooms which had fallen
into disuse and disrepair were put in order and place was found for two wards containing eight beds,
a labour room, a nursery, and a small kitchen for the use of the patients’ relatives.
Since the re-opening of the in-patients section of the dispensary there have been many cases,
the eight beds are almost always occupied, and there would be more in-patients if more accommoda­
tion were available.
Medical Work in the Girls' Schools.—During the year 900 girls were examined in the schools.
As the parents of the children object to their being undressed and thoroughly examined, only a
minimum can be done.
Heights and weights were recorded and compared with those of last year, and a check was made
as to when each child was last vaccinated. The eyes, teeth, throat, ears and heads were all examined,
i! and the children were questioned as to any symptoms they might have. If there was any complaint
or if any abnormal sign was seen then a further investigation was carried out in hospital after obtain­
ing the parent’s consent.
The health and cleanliness of the children showed considerable improvement since last year.
In each school a teacher has now been instructed in how to give simple treatment. A nurse has
1 been appointed to work full time in the schools, and she visits them daily supervising treatment and
arranging for special cases to be brought to hospital.
During the year 291 vaccinations were done in the schools, 43 tooth extractions, 6 had Kahn’s
test done, 2 were admitted to hospital for special eye treatment, and 2 others for investigation.
One child whose arm had been bound down to her body by contractures after bums for 8
years, was operated upon and enjoys free movement of the arm in all directions.
So it may be seen that even though the work in schools is limited, still a considerable amount
of good can be done in certain cases, and as these results become known amongst the other pupils it
is to be hoped that each year will show a greater spirit of co-operation with the medical examiner on
the part of both children and parents.