CO885-(26N14) — Page 207

172

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

885/26

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

102

16 February, 1920.]

COLONIAL MEDICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE.

DR. O. M. PRICHARD,

3180. They would be more responsible to him than to the Governor? More responsible to him than to the Governor, and the responsibility, if he was a medical man, would be to him, I think.

3181. After all, it would be the Governors who would find the money?—Yes.

3182. I was not quite clear; supposing he was at home and reported direct to the Colonial Office, what do you think the Colonial Office would do with his report, when they got it? They would communicate it, through the Governor, to the Principal Medical Officer of the Colony.

3183. They would simply act as a post office; simply transmit the report. When you first mentioned it, you laid some emphasis on the fact that he should report to the Colonial Office in the first instance?--- Yes.

3184. I want to know what the virtue of that arrangement is. You do not seem specially enamoured of it yourself. If the Inspector-General of the King's African Rifles reported to the Colonial Office, the Colonial Office might, or might not, send his report to the Governor, but what they would do would be to send it to the War Office. I put it to you that the person to whom he should send his Report here is the Ministry of Health. You do not suggest that this Report should go there?-I do not think it would be necessary for it to go there.

$185. How could the Colonial Office deal with it? You know the Colonial Office has no medical men on the staff? Yes, I know that; that is my idea. I think if the Colonial Office had a Director-General here in England, who travelled, he would be here six months like the Inspector-General of the King's African Rifles

3188. He would be part of the staff of the Office?- Certainly. Whether he reported to the Governor or to the Governor or to the Colonial Office, that, of course, I do not know; but I certainly think, if there was a Director-General, or whatever you like, to call him, stationed at the Colonial Office where Principal Medical Officers could come and confer with the representatives of other Colonies, I think it would be an advantage.

3187. Have you been on study leave?—Yes, sir.

3188. When ?-The last time but one I was home I did midwifery in Dublin, and a course of operative surgery-my last leave was during the war (two months), and I have now applied for study leave.

3180. What sort of a course was it, a definite course with an examination test P-No.

3190. Was there a certificate given?-Yes, there was a certificate given,

8191. Simply a satisfactory attendance? That is A!!

3192. Have you ever heard of other courses of study leave in which all you have got was a certificate of regular attendance; have you ever heard it said that pepole could just go and stroll round the wards, need not do any particular work, as long as they attended regularly and they got a certificate? Of men doing that? No; I have always had to work; I have worked exceedingly hard at the Tropical School, and at a course of Operative Burgery I worked hard.

3193. You had to attend?-I had to attend, other- wise I would not have been given a certificate. The Colonial Office paid for it and I attended. As matter of fact, the average man is most anxious to take study leave and to keep up-to-date.

3194. That is the East African Harvice? I found that among most of the men of the West Africao Medical Service that I met in the field in German East Africa.

9195. All anxious to do study leave?-They did not call it study leave; all most anxious to keep up-to-date in their profession.

8195. When they were home they want round to the Hospital or Medical School and saw what was now; that sort of thing?—Yes, they did that.

3197. That is not what you mean by study leave, I take it; that is not the sort of thing for which a

[Continued,

certificate would be given? No, of course, it could be arranged by the Colonial Office what would be called study leave.

3198. You suggest that even Principal Medical Officers should undergo a course of study leave?-Bom course; 1 think it would be beneficial to them and to the Colony.

3109. I did not quite catch your views as to the retiring age. You thought there should be a com- pulsory retiring ago at-?-1 did not mention any

age,

8200. Retirement is optional at 50P-Yes,

9201. You do not suggest the age should be lower than 50: That a man should be entitled to retire on a pension at an earlier age?-Take a man who has done 18 or 19 years' service at 45, I think he should be allowed to retire at 45. I do not think it is asking too much,

3202. On the completion of 18 years' service?_Cn the completion of 18 years' service.

3209. A certain proportion of it has to be spent in the Colony? In the Colony.

3204. You said you thought it was essential that al Medical Officers in East Africa should be white?--Yes, Sir

3205. White?-Well, you are you have got a large. and it will be larger, white population; I think thay rather object to a coloured Medical Staff.

3206. There is rather a large Native population, is there not?—Yes, Sir. I know one case where we eni- ployed an Indian, a Brahmin, as matter of fact, a very able man, perfectly all right from a social point of view, and there was some difficulty. It wra a very small station, most of his work was native, but he had to attend the white men at the station and they did not like it.

3207. Have you ever noticed any sign; there is no general desire on the part of the more educated ba- tives, to go in for medicine, I take it?—No, they are not advanced enough yet, Sir.

3208. 1. Hood: When did you join the East African Service?-In 1909.

No

3200. Did you know anything about East Africa?_

3210. Did you know anything about West Africa? Yes; I walked into the Colonial Office one day, and they offered me a post in West Africa, and one in East Africa, and I chose East Africa.

3211. Why? I could not go to West Africa at the time.

3212. It was not because of a difference?- No. 3219. You have no predilection in favour of one or the other? No.

$214. Do you think, talking to the East African men, many of them would object to going to Wost Africa, supposing the Services were amalgamated?---- I do not think they would, but you see we are such a very small Service; there are so few of us; the man in charge of the European Hospital at Nairobi is a good man, and he has a certain amount of private practice, I do not suppose he would care to leave the place.

3215. Supposing he got promotion; would he take premotion? I doubt very much whether he would.

3216. It is a permanent post, is it? It is not a per- manent post but he is a very able mar and he does very well there.

3217. Ho would not take a post-I do not think he would.

3218. Not even locally?—That I cannot say,

3219. Is there a Deputy Principal Medical Officer in East Africa?—Yes.

3220. Is he allowed private practice?-He is allowed, but ho never does any.

3221. Does he do any consulting practice or any practice at all?—No, he does not.

3222. Is it much use for a man like that coming home to do study leave?—Yes, he might; as a matter of fact, he does; he took the D.P.H. some time ago. 3223. It is almost purely an administrative office? It is an administrative office, yes.

16 February, 1920.]

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Dr. O, M PRICHARD.

3224. Sir William Leishman: On that subject of private practice, you did not mention when you were talking about the causes of discontent, private prac tice as being one, but it has come to our notice from ther sources. Can you say anything about that? Who are allowed private practice and what oppor- tunities do men have? I am talking entirely of East Africa. The best place for private practice is Nairobi and the best post is Medical Officer of the European Hospital in Nairobi. He is a very able man, a very good surgeon, and he has done exc: I ent work. He has private practice; I do not know what it is worth; its supposed to be good. The other place is Mombasa, the European Hospital there, and Nakuru is another place; but you cannot put private practice down in East Africa as a reliable as et.

3225. There are not many places where it is worth very much? Not where it is worth very much.

3226. On the subject of specialisation, I gather, in answer to Sir James Fowler, you thought that was very desirablə?--I think it is.

3227. And the subjects; would you limit them; I suppose Hygiene and Sanitation for ono?—Yes, and Ophthalmology.

3228. Bacteriology and Surgery?-Bacteriology and Surgery.

3229. It has been suggested that possibly such offi- cers who specialise on the subject should be given opportunity and encouragement to continue to work in those subjects for their whole salaries?—Yes.

3290. Would you have that apply to all those sub- jects you have just mentioned, Surgery, Ophthal- mology, etcotera, or would you limit it to one or two? 1 should say Ophthalmology certainly, Sanitation and Bacteriology-

3231. You think the men should not suffer for stick- ing to their subject?He should get the same ad- vancement as other men engaged in general work.

3232. Up to what point; it has been suggested up to the highest grade but one?—Yes, I think that is quite fair.

3233. Would you be in favour of a transfer of these special officers to other Colonies to carry on the same work, the point being whether it would be an ad- vantage to the State in general that they carry their experience to another Colony and enlarged it, and there should be an exchange of that special know- ledge, or would you compel them to stay in the same Colony for the whole of their Service?—I think, for the good of the whole Colonial community, it would be an advantage to allow them to move to other Colonies.

3234. But without any financial punishment?- Without any financial punishment, certainly.

3295. In general, I gather from you that the Ber- vice is not contented? It is not contented, no.

3236. Can you say just in a few words once more what you think are the principal points which would make them contented?-Study leave, more opportunities for promotion, and in the senior cares opportunities to take a transfer on promotion.

3297. Do you think that if such a thing as a Colonial Medical Service were established it would be possible to establish a general Colonial Medical Service, that that would enhance the status?—I think it would.

103

[Continued,

3238. And in that way, it would be more likely to attract a good class of candidate?—I think it would.

3239. Sir Jumes Fowler: You mentioned that you thought that men should not come out until the age of 267- Yes, Sir.

3240. Was that on account of dangers to their health, or their inexperience or for what reason ?--- Inexperience I should say, Sir.

3241. Inexperience of Tropical Medicine?--For ex- ample, take the Northern country, you send a Medical

Officer up there, he is entirely-by himself with one or two British Officers, I do not think it is desirable to send a very young man.

3242. That is not quite the point. None of them, I take it, have any experience when they go out whatever age they are--Not of the Tropica, except what they have acquired in the Tropical School,

3243. Which they would all have, no matter what their age was, on entering the School?—Yes, Sir.

9244. But I do not think you have yet given, what

seerus to me, a good reason for the age of 25, we will say, is it his own health, do you think?—I have always found myself, during the time I have been there, that man of 25 or over 25, uppear to stand the climate very much better than the young men.

3245. Have you seen many of the younger men ?- - I have seen

a very great many of them, young subalterns, in the King's African Rifles. I have been in these out of the way places with them, and I have always come to the conclusion that it was not the place for very young men, possibly you could have young man in Nairobi or Mombasa where there are plenty of people. but that is a different story.

3216. Would it not be as an ordinary matter of administration that you would keep a young inex- perienced man at your base or at your Headquarters? For a certain time, and then send him up; it might be overcome in that way.

3247. So that in East Africa if they went to Nairobi when only 23, we will say, would there be any harm in that? Well, there would be no harm in that, provided the exigencies of the Service permit of his being kept in Nairobi,

3248. Mr. Fiddian: You would have to enlarge the Service to do that?--You would.

9249. There are no appointments at the base for him to have?--Quite so.

3250. Can you give any reason why you should have men of 25; in it simply that their constitution is not properly set, or anything of that sort, or that they do foolish things? It is not that they do foolish things; what happens, if I may say so, is this: a man goes out by himself: he has not very much in common if he is a doctor (I bave felt it myself), with the other people, the result is he gets very depressed, geta

nervy, loses his sense of proportion and naturally his physical health suffers from that.

3251. The subalterns, to whom you have referred. were with other people, were they not? Yes, but they were not very young, Sir.

3252. I thought you said you had experience of subalterns who were youngThey were all men about 26 or 27, but during the war they were very much younger.

Chairman: Thank you.

(The Witness withdrew,)

DR. H. H. Stewart, called and examined.

3253. Chairman: You belong to the West African Staff? Yes.

3254. Whon September, 1913,

did you enter that service?-In

3255. And what Colony were you posted to?- Southern Nigeria.

3256. Are you still there?-I am still there. 9257. What salary did you get on joining?£400 year.

$258. What are you drawing now?—I am drawing

£525.

3259. Is that including the recent increase?--No; pensionable salary I am referring to.

8260. £525 is what you have risen to-Yes.

1. Do you like the Service?—I do like the. Sår- vice, as a Service. There are many points, of course, which might be improved, both from a professional point of view and from the material point of view-the point of view of emoluments.

3262. From the professional point of view, what are the objections to it? Well, Sir, if I deal with the professional point of view first, there are two heads under which I think it would naturally full. (1) The causes of discontent or dissatisfaction within the Department itself, and (2) in relation to the general administration; I mean in the wider sense. that is the Government of the Colony or Colonies concerned; they fall under two heads naturally, i