ENG-1963 — Page 196

HEALTH

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Sanitary control of the port and airport is also the responsibility of the port health service. These areas were kept free from Aedes aegypti throughout the year. There is regular supervision of the purity of water supplied by dock hydrants and water boats and of the airport catering service. Inspection of ships to determine the extent of rat infestation is carried out by members of the port health staff. International deratting certificates were issued to 88 ships after fumigation, while deratting exemption certificates were issued to 191 ships after inspection. The dock area and airport are included in the rodent control scheme for the Colony and returns of rats destroyed and bacteriological examinations for plague are submitted weekly to the World Health Organization's international quarantine service.

Maternal and Child Health. During the year, as in previous years, the vast majority of confinements took place in recognized institutions. The proportion is usually 95 per cent or more. De- liveries are distributed between the maternity wards of hospitals and maternity homes with a slight preponderance in favour of the latter. Less than five per cent of deliveries are undertaken by domiciliary midwives, either private or Government.

The Government midwifery service was augmented by two maternity units and now has 28 district centres, of which six are domiciliary. There are in addition 169 registered midwives practis- ing privately from 111 maternity and nursing homes. All registered maternity homes are inspected regularly by the supervisor of mid- wives and her staff to ensure that conditions of registration are followed and that a sufficiently high standard of midwifery is practised 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 31 centres, 11 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 attending 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 maternal and child health work and consists of practical demonstrations, health