Annual report on the social and economic progress of the people of the Falkland Islands.

Date:
[1937]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the social and economic progress of the people of the Falkland Islands. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    at a very early age. The Dental Surgeon makes periodical tours of the East and West Falklands and holds a special clinic for school children every Saturday morning. Vaccination is compulsory and the Vaccination Ordinance is rigidly enforced, every Medical Officer being appointed a Public Vaccinator for the area in which he is stationed. Gastritis and dyspepsia are common complaints. Eleven appendicectomies were performed during 1937, the majority being in the quiescent stage. From time to time outbreaks of acute enteritis occur but so far the origin of these outbreaks has not been definitely determined. Coryza in epidemic form is very common. Two cases of tuberculosis were under treatment during the year. The incidence of bovine tuberculosis is being investigated, the double intradermal test being used. Several school children were under treatment for impetigo contagiosa. Thread worm infection is very common among the children also. Thirty confinements took place in the hospital and seven in the town, making a total of 37 as compared with 45 in the previous year. The Government maintains out of public funds a hospital in Stanley, the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. The hospital has 17 beds, an operating theatre, quarters for nurses, stores, and an out-patient department. Outside buildings provide an office and workshop for the Dental Surgeon, and also a drug store and laboratory. An improved X-ray apparatus has been installed. The staff of the Medical Department includes a Senior Medical Officer, two Medical Officers, one of whom is stationed on the West Falkland Island, a Dental Surgeon, a Nurse Matron and a qualified Nursing Sister, in addition to junior nurses locally recruited and trained. A Medical Officer made periodical tours of the North-East Falkland, the remainder of the East Falkland being under the Falkland Islands Company’s Medical Officer stationed at Darwin. During the year the Senior Medical Officer made an extensive tour of the West Falkland. The out-patient department of the hospital provides ante¬ natal and post-natal services. Maternity nursing services are provided for Stanley and outlying districts. During the year 1937, 219 persons were admitted to the hospital as compared with 149 in the previous year and 1,010 new cases were seen in the out-patients’ department. Six deaths occurred in hospital; 184 operations were performed as com¬ pared with 241 in the previous year.
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