Report / Department of Public Health, Tasmania.

  • Tasmania. Department of Public Health
Date:
[1962]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report / Department of Public Health, Tasmania. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    37/64 page 35
    1962. 35 (No. 56.) ance. It is true that the problems with which they deal have changed in the last fifty years. When the infant welfare movement was founded by Truby King in the first decade of this century, the outstanding problem was the high infant mortality rate due largely to bad methods of infant feeding. Truby King founded a service, first in New Zealand, and afterwards elsewhere, which tackled this problem by the education of mothers. The particular problem has largely been solved; but others have arisen to take its place; and these too can be solved by education. The Child Health Service and the School Health Service are the best weapons available to us for health education, because the education that they impart is on a personal level, and this is the most effective method. Studies in Great Britain and elsewhere in recent years have shown that methods of mass propaganda are not nearly as effective as personal health education, where an individual can discuss his or her problem with someone qualified to help with iit. For this reason in every year in which I have prepared the annual report of the Public Health Division, and particularly in recent years, I have given prominence to the work of these two services. HEALTH INDICATORS The Expert Committee on Health Statistics of United Nations Organization has recommended the use of two figures as comprehensive health indicators. One is the proportionate mortality ratio at age 50; in other words the proportion of total deaths that occurs in people over the age of 50. The figures for the last ten years are shown below:.— Deaths of Persons Aged 50 and Over Year Number Per Cent of Total Deaths 1952 . 1,967 76.27 1953 . 1,987 77.89 1954 . 2,113 78.38 1955 . 1,942 78.02 1956 . 1,993 79.31 1957 . 2,119 79.36 1958 . 2,139 78.98 1959 . 2,179 78.38 1960 . 2,150 80.52 1961 . 2,239 80.28 The other health indicator recommended by the Committee is the late infant mortality rate. The figures for each year since 1955 are:— Infant Mortality Rate per 1000 Live Births Age at Deaith 11056 1957 1958 1959 I960 1961 Under 1 month 14.9 13.6 12.4 14.8 11.2 11.9 1 month-1 year 6.1 6.6 7.1 8.6 7.8 4.9 Total . 21.0 20.2 19.5 23.4 19.0 16.8 The deaths between one month and one year include those which are preventable by a high standard of infant care. The low figure for 1961 is gratifying, though one must beware of drawing an optimistic conclusion from the figures for a single year. CHILD HEALTH SERVICE The chart “ Child Health Sisters per 1000 Live Births ” shows that the staff is still below the level of 1951-56. In the anual report for 1959-60 I outlined some of the reasons which militate against the recruitment of fully qualified staff, and I do. not propose to go over the same ground again this year. In the same annual report, and again in 1960-61, I gave a brief description of a plan for providing our own staff by a system of in-service training—the system which would be adopted, in similar circumstances, by1 industry. It is disappointing that no progress whatever has been made with the appointment of a health visitor tutor, to organise this training; and until this appointment becomes possible, the plan must necessarily remain in abeyance, and we shall con¬ tinue to live from hand to mouth in our search for qualified staff. The following information is summarised from the report of the Supervisory Sister:— (a) Staff At the end of June there were 40 members of the staff, 38 full-time and two part-time. During the year three senior members of the staff, Sisters Lester, Murray and Hayes, retired. They will be sadly missed, and the sterling work that they have done in the service has been greatly appreciated. (b) Centres There are 101 centres including 12 travelling units. Scottsdale and Deloraine were without resident sisters for some months during the year; a member of the staff from Launceston paid occasional visits to the main centre during the year, but little, if anything, could be done to provide a service for outlying portions of these districts. Work commenced in three new centres during the year; at Howrah and Risdon Vale sisters conduct regular clinics in buildings borrowed or rented for the purpose, while a service is provided on Flinders Island by a sister who is flown from Launceston by light aircraft once a month, and visits mothers in their homes. New buildings at Riverside and Springfield were opened in July, 1961. (c) Transport Milage is paid to 24 members of the staff who use their own cars for the work. There are 11 departmental cars (4 Holdens, 4 Volkswagens and 3 Sirncas). (d) Lectures in Mother craft Lectures were given to senior girls from 34 schools and 511 certificates were granted. It is pleasing that the decline in the numbers attend¬ ing these lectures in recent years has not con¬ tinued. These lectures are a very practical piece of health education, and it is important that they should reach as wide an audience as possible. (e) Students Nine nurses completed the course for the certifi¬ cate in Child Health, eight at the Mothercraft Home, and one at Calvary. Twenty-seven mothercraft nurses completed training, fifteen at the Mothercraft Home, and 12 at Calvary. One other aspect of the work of Child Health Clin'ics deserves special mention. At the sugges¬ tion of the Director of Mental Health, all babies attending the centres now have a urine test for phenylketonuria as soon as possible after they attain the age of six weeks. Phenylketonuria is a rare condition, appearing in infancy and leading, if unchecked, to mental defect. Its effects can be controlled, if detected soon enough, by a special diet; but the prevention of mental defect later depends on early detection. During this year 3876 tests were done, all negative. Members of the staff owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr. J. Millar and Dr. R. Wall, who act as consultants at the Hobart and Launceston centres, and to Dr. N. Newman who has given up
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