CO885-5 — Page 460

Printed for the Use of the Colonial Office.

Miscellaneous,

No. 71.

40

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

111 CO. 885 / 5

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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, British Guiana, Wind- ward Islands, Leeward Islands, British Honduras, Fiji, Western Australia, West Africa Settlements, Gold Coast, Lagos, and very occasionally in the Eastern Colonies (Ceylon, Strails Settlements, and Hong Kong), Cyprus, Gibraltar, St. Helena, and the Falkland Islands.

It is for the West Indies and the West African 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-houso, 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 givo gratuitous attendance to all Government officials, and, in most cases, to the families of such officials also.

Passage money on first appointment and leave of absence on half-pay (in case of sickness, or after six years' service, if the medical officer has given satisfaction in the discharge of his duties,) are granted to medical officers under the Colonial Regulations, and with regard to pensions, they are usually on the same footing as other Government servants, but in cases where private practice is allowed, the rule is that they are not entitled to pension.

3. The following is a short account of the appointments in the separate Colonies:-

Jamaica. The appointments, 49 in number, are mainly district appoint- ments with private practice allowed; the salary paid by Government varies from 150l. to 2501. per annum, and in most cases is 2007. 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.

Trinidad.-26 appointments. Officers are appointed in the first instance 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 400%. and upwards by various allowances 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

British Guiana,-45 appointments. Officers are appointed on two years' probation as supernumeraries, and are paid a salary at the rate of 300l. 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. Government medical officer on being appointed to a district, and a super- numerary on being appointed to act in charge of a district, will receive at the rate of 5001. 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.

annum.

A 53521, 500,-3/88. D. 48. Wt. 23799. E. & S.

A