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HEALTH

nursing homes. All registered maternity homes are inspected regularly by the Supervisor of Midwives and her staff to ensure that the conditions of registration are followed and that there is a high standard of midwifery practice by registered midwives not working under the direct supervision of a doctor.

The Maternal and Child Health service offers free maternal and child care at 28 centres, nine of which are full time. The staff of the service hold infant welfare and toddler clinics for children up to two years of age and from two years to five years respectively. Ante-natal and post-natal sessions are also held at these centres. Health Visitors pay home visits when necessary to babies attend- ing the clinics and also to the homes of new-born babies whose names appear in the monthly birth returns.

Health education forms a most important part of the maternal and child health work and consists of practical demonstrations, health talks illustrated by various types of visual aids, individual advice to mothers and the distribution of booklets and pamphlets. The response is very encouraging and there is increasing public appreciation of the value of the expert advice and guidance offered.

Vitamins, iron preparations, and UNICEF skimmed milk powder are distributed widely, and full-cream and half-cream milk powders are available for children who, in the opinion of Medical Officers or Almoners, are in need of such dietary supplements.

Prophylactic immunization against smallpox, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus is offered in all centres, and over 92% of children attending the infant welfare and toddler sessions received such protection. BCG is given to all children attending centres who have a negative tuberculin test and INAH is given to children aged one year or under with a positive tuberculin test not due to BCG. Demonstrations of the techniques of handling and giving BCG are also held for midwives in private practice.

School Health Service. The existing School Health service is organized in two sections, a general health service for all schools and a medical and dental treatment service for pupils and teachers participating in a fee-paying scheme.

The general health service is concerned with the sanitary con- dition of school premises, the control of communicable disease