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reduced in accordance with the general scheme of retrenchment which we recommend elsewhere; we thus arrive at a scale of Rs.9,500-500-12,000 for the higher specialists and a junior scale of Rs.6,300-250-7,800-400-9,000. We recommend Rs.11,000 as the reduced pay of the three Hospital Superin. tendents, and Rs.7,000 as the pay of the Resident Medical Officers ; these eight officers have free quarters. We consider that the Hookworm Officer should have the same rate of pay as the other specialists; his pay before the general retrenchment is Rs.12,000. and would be Rs.10,800 after the deduction of 10 per cent.; he should therefore come on the new scale at the Rs.11,000 stage. When vacancies occur, the posts of Health Officers of Port Louis and Plaines Wilhems should carry the same rates of pay as the specialist posts. The pay of the Government Medical Officer. Pamplemousses, should be Rs.10,000 in view of his special respon- sibility as Superintendent of the Leper Hospital, in addition to his charge of Long Mountain Hospital. The new post of Government Analyst should carry the junior scale of pay, Rs.6,300-250-7,800400-9,000, as also should the posts of Assistant Health Officer. The Government Medical Officers in charge of the smaller hospitals should also be on the junior scale, coming on that scale at the point next above their present pay reduced by 10 per cent.

The effect on the cost of the senior posts of the department is shown in the table* attached to this chapter. The total maxi- mum pay of the sanctioned posts is Rs.316,750 and should ulti- mately be Rs.261,000, a saving of Rs.55,750. The pay which is now being drawn is Rs.252,550 exclusive of leave pay, and the immediate cost of the senior posts will according to our proposals. be Rs.235,425.

20. We also propose that the following minor posts should be abolished :-

Assistant, Bacteriological Laboratory

Junior Microscopist

Students in training

One Sanitary Inspector

Three Sanitary Inspectors

32 Sanitary Guards

Total

Rs.

4,000

1,800

8,400

2,400

5,400 33,475

Rs.55,475

Adding the savings on the superior posts the total immediate re- ductions would be Rs.77,675. The students in training will eventually be absorbed in the department, and we are informed

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that there are already a number of vacancies in the minor staff so that the additional charges for pension will be small. On the other hand we propose to utilize the whole of the savings of the post of Radiologist (a) on the temporary increase in the pay of the post of Resident Medical Officer at the Victoria Hospital, which the present Radiologist will occupy, and (b) on the purchase of plant; while, ultimately, the whole of this saving, together with the saving of Rs.25,000 on extra medical assistance (part of which will be temporarily available for the radiology scheme), will be utilized for providing additional permanent nursing strength.

The net saving under this scheme may be estimated at Rs.70,000 and ultimately at Rs.100,000.

21. We need not make more than a brief reference to two other institutions attached to this department. We have visited the Leper Hospital where devoted work is being done by the Sisters of Charity under conditions which may be described as adequate but which are not on the most modern lines. The total expendi- ture, excluding the part cost of the Medical Officer, is Rs.24,770, which is far from being excessive for the care of 46 inmates. The most serious question for this hospital is its unhealthy position, for the lepers are exceptionally exposed to fever. But there appears to be no alternative if, as we understand to be the case, a warm climate is beneficial, and it would therefore not be desirable to locate the hospital at Long Mountain or on the higher plateau.

The question of the Quarantine Station is almost entirely adminis- trative; much has been written on the subject into which it is not necessary for us to enter; the total cost is Rs.8,248 and, though we believe that this might be reduced by Rs.1,500 without dis- advantage, the amount at issue is so small that we have made no detailed study of the subject.

22. The clerical staff of the Medical Department consists of seven clerks on the General Service list and one typist; their duties include the preparation of the medical statistics, in addition to the normal duties of registration, drafting, and despatching. The volume of correspondence is not sufficient to justify an Assistant Registrar as well as a Registrar, and the staff should be reduced by one post in Class VI. No other changes are required.

The Finance Branch of this office is, as in the case of the Public Works Department, in theory, a branch of the Treasury. We have discussed this system in detail in the case of the Public Works Department, and make the same recommendation here. The Finance Branch should be definitely incorporated in the Medical Department, under the control of the Director. The distribution of work in the branch is satisfactory and the numbers are not exces- sive. The Head of the Branch should no longer be a General

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RECORD OFFICE

Reference-

C.O.882/12

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