TUBERCULOSIS WORKERS.
These Tuberculosis Workers are the principal link between the clinic and the patient in his home. The Colony is divided into ten areas, one Tuberculosis Worker being responsible for all the cases of tuber- culosis in each such area. Their function is to educate the patient as to how best to control his own disease and how to prevent its spread to other members of his household, to encourage regular attendance at the clinic, and to arrange contact examinations. With very few exceptions their visits are welcomed by the patients and the former air of suspicion with which official visitors had been regarded, is gradually being dispelled. Details of work done are as follows:-
Total number of visits
Number of addresses not found
Number of patients returned to village
Number of contact cards issued
Number of contacts examined as a result
8,959
975
355
9,249
6,566
Contact examination is arranged so that children under 8 years of age are tuberculin tested and only if positive are they examined radio- logically. All contacts over 8 years are first examined by X-ray. The results are as follows:
Under 8 years of age and tuberculin negative
Under 8 years of age and tuberculin positive
Total number all ages X-rayed
--་
833
532
6,518
The results of X-ray and subsequent clinical examination where necessary are as follows:
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.
There is still no prospect of further additions to the facilities for treatment of patients in hospital. With the magnitude of the problem to be faced, substantial increases are necessary but it seems unlikely that bed provision will ever be adequate to meet the demand. Attention is therefore being concentrated on the improvement of facilities for outpatient treatment. A new clinic is proposed to replace the existing clinic at Harcourt Health Centre which is unsatisfactory in that it is too small, has no X-ray facilities in the building and exposes the staff by its unsatisfactory layout, to unnecessary risk of infection.
The ways and means of starting off a B.C.G. vaccination cam- paign are under examination and it is hoped that a start will be made within the next six months. Delay is Inevitable due to the necessity of finding ways and means of effecting this measure without substantial increases in staff, but it is obvious that this measure cannot be long delayed in view of the statistical returns and the increasing interest in the project apparent in the general public.
A. S. MOODIE,
Ag. Tuberculosis Specialist. 26th April, 1951.
No active tuberculosis
Active tuberculosis
Inactive or healed
Suspicious
ཋཏྭཱཝོཨཾ-་་
Under 8 Over 8
Years
Years
269
4,068
104
287
44
258
121
373
86
1
87
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