Annual report on the work of the Ministry of Public Health / Egypt.

  • Egypt. Wizārat al-Ṣiḥḥah al-ʻUmūmīyah
Date:
[1929]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the work of the Ministry of Public Health / Egypt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/50 page 2
    During 1929, no epidemics of importance occurred; the cases of small-pox, typhus, typhoid and other diseases were ordinary. It is worthy of mention that the death-rates for most of these diseases are falling steadily. Better notification, less fear among the public from the measures taken, better treatment in fever hospitals and village shelters (for infectious diseases) and public education through propaganda work, etc., these factors have, each of them, its share in lowering the fatality rate of these diseases. In view of the definite effects of prophylactic vaccines, the Department prepared a draft Law empowering the Public Health Authorities to vaccine the public compulsorily against small-pox, cholera, typhoid and diphtheria. A draft Ministerial Arrete was also prepared adding Erysipelas to the Schedule of Notifiable Infectious, Diseases. Thanks to the system of Public Health International Exchanges we have been duly informed during the year of the spread of some diseases in the neighbouring countries which are linked to Egypt either by sea or by air. The Department was therefore able to take the most stringent measures to defend the Country against the importation of such diseases. The Department is not only charged with the public health work but has also a Medical Section for treatment. Hospitals have been improved by every means and so equipped to become up-to-date medical institutions' with special units for treatment of different diseases by specialists. Twenty-nine new units were opened this year, detailed as follows :— 4 District Hospitals. 4 Venereal Diseases Clinics. 6 Health Offices. 1 1 3 1 Ankylostoma Hospital. ,, Anrex. Ophthalmic Annexes. 1 Children Asylum. 1 Chemical Laboratory. 2 Chest Diseases Dispensaries. 1 Leprosy Clinic. 2 Ophthalmic Clinics. 1 Hospital. 1 General Hospital. Sea Sahatorium. The following table shows the percentage of increase in the work of the various medical units of the Department as compared with that of 1928 :— Venereal Frontier Districts. i j General. Hospitals. Ankylostoma. Ophthalmic. diseases olinics. j | Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent New Cases . !. ; I 16-4 21 17 59 . In-patients . ;. Attendance of patients at the Out-patients 11*2 — 23 — 1 24 Department . . 22-5 — 18 — 1 Operations . . 27-7 — 12 — i y As regards the work of the Child Welfare Centres it suffices here to mention that new cases of pregnancy increased by 52-6 per cent, cases of delivery increased by 101 -6 per cent, visits to houses increased by 83-3 per cent and blood specimens taken this year were double those of the previous year. The development realised in the different branches of the Department was not limited to these branches but also comprised the offices of the Central Administration and con¬ sequently, the scope of action of the Technical Secretariat Office was gradually expanded with a view of attaining the aim for which it was created, so that it may, in future, become a purely technical office which will be entrusted with the duty of examining all technical questions relating to the general policy of the Department. This evolution will neces¬ sarily take place very shortly as a natural consequence to the steady progress of the Department and of the increasing number of Committees constituted for examining the different technical questions entrusted to them. The Technical Secretariat Office has, therefore, been called upon, this year, to examine all questions contained in the reports and bulletins published by the “Office International d’Hygiene Publique ” and by the
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