2. DRUGS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT.
None of the supplies under the Young Working Party Units have yet come to hand and they are not expected to arrive before February next year. Col. Fehily had rather anticipated this and had approached the appropriate authority at the War office to secure military supplies not required for operational needs to fill the possible gap, but nothing has come of this. Further, maintenance blocks for beach- landing parties were earmarked from India, again with a negative result. In the meantime, Civil Affairs medical services have been carrying on with considerable stocks recovered on re-entry, and for the more special types of drugs, which are not available, through assistance from the Services. These chiefly include limited supplies of the sulpha-drugs, N.A.B., penecillin and small quantities of diphtheria anti-toxin. Nevertheless the position is a serious one; while going around I heard of many shortages of essential drugs. For instance, at the Child Welfare Centres, they had no santonin. As it seemed pretty clear that the arrival of the Young Working Party Units could not be much accelerated, Col. Tehily requested through Prigadier Gibbons, who called here recently, supplies of drugs from SACSEA, and he is taking whatever further steps are possible. The need is obviously urgent and no doubt Col. Fehily will keep the Colonial office advised on the situation. Anything that can be done to accelerate the arrival of the Young Working Party Units should be done and any urgent requests from Col. Fehily for supplies that he cannot obtain from the sources already indicated should have first priority.
The remarks regarding shortages apply equally to hospital equipment generally. In addition to material · stocks of the commoner drugs found on re-entry, which included quinine, a certain amount of bedding and most of the beds have been recovered. Such items as sheets and blankets do not exist, while bedding is scanty. Col. Fehily has got staff working on the making of sheets, gowns and other hospital clothing from calico · impounded out of stocks found in godowns. Instruments are, on the whole, intact as regards numbers but some Japanese items have been substituted. About one-third of hospital furniture has been recovered in reasonable condition. Laboratory equipment is missing generally. Microscopes have been recovered, but often they are rendered useless through the objectives being missing. Some scientific apparatus has been recovered but here, again, essential parts have been removed. Radiological equipment is in workable condition and so is the electro- medical equipment, but the deep therapy set is out of action because the special oil has been drained from it. Useful stocks of glassware have been recovered but china generally is non-existent. Refrigerators are out of condition but many of them are repairable. There are ample stocks of cotton dressings but adhesive dressings
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ནཱ ཨི
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