CO885-5 — Page 170

Miscellaneous, No. 62.

Printed for the Use of the Colonial Office.

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PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

། ། ༅།

C.O.

Reference :-

885/5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS IN THE COLONIES.

1. Medical appointments are from time to time filled up by the Colonial Office in the following Colonies :—Jamaica, Trinidad, BritishTMGuiana, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, British Honduras, Fiji, Western Australia, West Africa Settlements, Gold Coast, Lagos, and very occasionally in the Eastern Colonies (Ceylon, Straits Settlements, and Hong Kong), Cyprus, Gibraltar, St. Helena, and the Falkland Islands.

It is for the West Indies and the West Africau Colonies that medical officers are chiefly required.

2. The majority of the West Indian appointments involve medical charge of a district. including, as a rule, the care of a hospital, poor-house, asylum, or other institution, and free attendance on the aged and children.

In West Africa the medical officers are also required to take charge of any hospital, public dispensary, lunatic asylum, or other Government institution at their respective stations, to supervise the sanitation of the district, to perform vaccination, and to give gratuitous attendance to all Government officials, and, in most cases, to the families of such officials also.

3. The following is a short account of the appointments in the separate Colonies:- Jamaica. The appointments, 49 in number, are mainly district appointments with private practice allowed; the salary paid by Government varies from 150l. to 2501. per annum, and, in most cases is 2001. New comers are, in some cases, attached for a while to the public hospital in Kingston, and given an allowance at the rate of 2001. per annum, but not permitted to undertake private practice. No pension is given, but there is a Civil Service Widows' and Orphans' Fund established by law, to which all medical officers are obliged to subscribe at the rate of 4 per cent. on their salaries. Leave is granted on half-pay in case of sickness or after six years' service, if the medical officer has given satisfaction in the dischargo of his duties. Passage money on first appointment is granted under the Colonial Regulations.

Trinidad. 26 appointments. Officers are appointed in the first instanco on one year's probation as supernumeraries. They receive a salary at the rate of 3001. per annum with furnished quarters, and are usually attached to the Government hospital; the salary assigned to the district appointments, to which they are promoted as vacancies occur, is 300, which is increased to 4001. and upwards by various allow- ances for horse, house, or otherwise; these posts carry the right to private practice; after 10 years' service an officer is given an additional personal allowance at the rate of 100. per annum.

Pensions are granted under the Colonial Regulations, as also leave of absence and passage money on first appointment.

British Guiana.-45 appointments. Officers are appointed on two years' proba- tion as supernumeraries, and are paid a salary at the rate of 300 per annum with quarters, without the right to private practice. After serving for two years, if appointed to the permanent staff, the officer will receive 4001. per annum, rising by increments of 251. annually up to 9001. per annum. A Government medical officer on being appointed to a district, and a supernumerary on being appointed to act in charge of a district, will receive at the rate of 500l. per annum, but will not receive any increments thereto until entitled to such increments by length of actual service. Every medical officer appointed to a district or to act in charge of a district will receive a travelling allowance at a rate varying from 100l. to 150l. per annum as the extent of the district may require. He is allowed private practice. The Government medical officer in charge of the Public Hospital in Georgetown and the Lunatic Asylum in Berbice is debarred from private practice, and receives in lieu thereof an allowance not exceeding 2001. per annum as may be determined. The Government medical officer in charge of the Public Hospital in New Amsterdam or of the Leper Asylum, if debarred from private practice, receives an allowance varying from 501 to 150l. per annum as may be determined. No more than 301. is allowed for passage money. Pensions are granted under a Colonial ordinance and leave of absence is allowed under the Colonial Regula- tions. There is a Widows' and Orphans' Fund in the Colony to which all Government servants are compelled to subscribe at the rate of 4 per cent. on their salaries.

O 50070. 500.-1/87. G. 30. E. & S.