CO129-479 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1923 [1-3] — Page 49

In the first place classes in wound-dressing, and in first aid were established in several towns, as for instance in Batavia, Buitenzorg, Soekaboemi and Bandoeng, and also voluntary ambulance-brigades were formed. This was done in 1914.

In the next year the Central Committee of the Society realised, that, if the Society intended to work more actively, it had to be re-organized.

Till that time the Society consisted only of a Central Committee in Batavia, the members of which were appointed by Government, without regular contributors, to which in the year before were added "delegated members" in diffe- rent towns.

Now many local branches were formed, which had their own committees, and raised contributions from their members. So were established branches in: Batavia, Semarang, Padang, Kota-Radja, Buitenzorg, Medan, Malang, Makassar. Magelang and afterwards also in Sourabaya.

Another change in the articles of the Society was, that social work was also made one of its objects, as well as relief in epidemics, accidents and other natural disasters.

The social work till now consists of establishing policlinics and public health nursing,

I wish to give you some data regarding this work.

A policlinic was established in Batavia, and the number

of patients, who were attended there, increased as this table shows you:

From 8th March 1915 till ultimo December 1915.

1st May 1916, 1st May 1917.

758

1852

In the year 1918

27312

1919

38995

M

1920

1921

56078

42741

+

This mighty increase of patients shows more than long descriptions can do, the popularity of this Red-Cross-Policlinic! Also in Buitenzorg a policlinic was established in 1916, and there also the number of patients increased from 707 in first year to 22696 in 1920.

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The Red-Cross-Branch in Buitenzorg was the first to start public health nursing, and in the beginning not without success, but afterwards, as the work at the policlinic and in the Hospital, Buitenzorg was the first place in the Dutch Indies, where the Red Cross managed one-, was extending in such a rapid manner, while the staff of nurses was not enlarged proportionately, the out-door-work decreased.

The Malang Red Cross Branch did splendid work at Taloen after the Kloet-eruption of 1918.

In Batavia the Branch organized a well-equipped Red Cross- brigade, divided into a transport-section and a nursing-section which were to join the army in times of war.

The popularity of the policlinic in Batavia, caused a second policlinic to be opened in another district of this town and also at Mr. Cornelis, a town which borders upon Batavia, where in the second year of its existence (1920) already 24402 patients, and in the third year 32967 patients were attended to.

Besides all this work, the Dutch East Indies Section of the Red Cross continues also, what it was accustomed to do in earlier times, before the re-organisation: namely to send money to the Dutch Red Cross, to help in relieving the sufferings caused by the Anglo-Boer war and other wars, and afterwards it sent money to the Dutch Consuls in places through which, after the Great War, released prisoners-of- war passed.

In this short sketch I have tried to give you an idea of the work, which the Dutch East Indies Section of the Nether- lands Red Cross has done during its existence.

This is really not so little, but social work forms only a small portion of its activities.

Why? This is one of the questions on which our report should dwell.

When the Red Cross was re-organized, it found here the Government as well as other voluntary agencies doing similar work, as, for instance, the "Orange Cross", battling with leprosy; the "Green Cross" and the "Wijkverpleging", which does public health nursing; the Central Association for

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