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Dispensary is far too small to deal with all the
cas es. A Chinese Nurse was engaged towards the end of
the year for the purpose of visiting in their homes expectant mothers and those with newly born infants and
young children. On the whole she has been well
received.
The Women's Hospital, Kuala Pilah, which is
under the charge of a Lady Medical Officer with a Nursing Sister to assist her, is also used as an Infant Welfare Centre more particularly by the Malays as is shown by the number of children brought to the out-patient department 2,375 under three years and
1,952 between three and ten.
The Malay Bidans (Midwives) are beginning to
show a keen interest in the work done at this hospital.
They are allowed to see the routine work of the hospital,
including the nursing of patients and the treatment of
infants. A great point is made of the importance of
cleanliness. A week's course of lectures and training
has now been started for all Bidans who care to come.
This course of instruction has done much towards re-
moving the prejudice against European Midwifery and the fact that they themselves have seen normal labours conducted in hospital will do much to remove the fear
The obeer- of hospital from the less educated Malay. vance of those Malay customs which are not detrimental to the patients are allowed but they are also told why certain of their other customs are most injurious.
The Infant Welfare Advisory Board held meet-
On its recommendation inge monthly during the year. the Government made provision for the training of
Midwives.
A start was made by training suitable
women at the Chinese Maternity Hospital and the
General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. The Board also recom-
mended the introduction of a Midwives Bill. This will
be brought into force in 1923. On the advice of the
Board, estate managers were invited to send suitable
women to Government hospitals and group hospitals for
a course of training as line ayahe.
Pamphlets on the preventive treatment of
ophthalmia neonatorum in various languages were dis-
tributed by the Board "
women