Page 298 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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In-Patients. Totals.
Government Hospital I.5I4"
Isolation Hospital .. 356 > i.9fil
Nursing Home J

Operations.
Major 518
Minor 2,981 } 3.499

Injections.
V.D. .. 3.766“
Emetine 783
T.A.B. 485 n.293
Quinine 204
Others 6.055J

Vaccinations 2,662 2,662

SHORT NOTES
The Staff.—Dr. I. M. A. Doeg left in March on long leave. The way in which she has built up
and consolidated the work of her hospital and medical department over four most arduous years,
deserves the highest praise. Miss J. A. B. Adamson was appointed as the new Matron, and arrived
in April. She was an excellent administrator and very quickly mastered a variety of duties, unfor­
tunately for the hospital she resigned to be married in November. Miss R. G. A. Maguire succeeded
Miss Adamson as Matron. This was a most suitable choice because of her wide experience not only
at home but also for two years in Bahrain, and for her genuine appreciation of the needs of the Arab.
Six new Indian trained nurses arrived during the year, four men and two women, and the remainder
who were appointed will be coming early next year. After twelve months it is hoped that our full
complement of key staff will have arrived.

Epidemics.—-Them were no epidemics of major importance. 21 cases of Small-pox occurred
during the first quarter, of which 4 were imported. Mumps was present in larger numbers this year
in the Spring and early Summer. Dysentery (Amoebic 75%) which doubled last year’s figure is still
at a comparatively low incidence. Enteric was seen sporadically as usual towards the latter half
of the year, with few deaths. It is interesting to record that Cholera never seems to have been observed
in Bahrain, at any rate during the last 25 years. Plague however was not infrequent up to 1921.
The Public Health and Welfare Committee.—This new body, expressly designed to deal
with Public Health problems, began its sessions in June. Conclusions on Venereal Disease and
Trachoma were completed this year.

School Medical Work.—A whole time school doctor has never been achieved yet, but this
will be remedied next year. A certain number of regular clinics for the Manama schools were carried
out. The hostel was kept under close surveillance. All boys were thoroughly overhauled, and a
daily trachoma clinic for a period of six months was inaugurated for 15 inmates, showing all stages
of chronicity of the disease. Attendance was enforced, and there was little difficulty in carrying out
the treatment. The effort was worth while, but proved the tenacity of trachoma when once it has
gained a hold over some years. Even the most radical measures proved relatively ineffective in some
cases. This experiment was valuable in proving that the younger the patient, the better the cure.
It is unfortunate that most Arabs contract trachoma during their first year of life and it is not easy to
treat a boy daily for weeks under the age of seven, and that only in a disciplined institution.