Triennial report on the hospitals and dispensaries in Burma.

  • Burma.
Date:
[1919]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Triennial report on the hospitals and dispensaries in Burma. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/62 (page 10)
    Statements D (i) and D (»;. Statements D (>) and D (ii). Statement E. Statement F. 17. Military Police Hospitals.—The strength, sickness and mortality of the Burma Military Police during the trienniurn under review and that of 1914—16 are compared below :— Details. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1917—19. 1914—16. Average strength 16,166 16,3^4 16,048 16,189 # 16,078 Admissions per 1,000 of strength Daily average sick per 1,000 strength Deaths per 1,000 strength 1270*26 *476*5 1390*74 1379-17 933** 9 5r«8 58*38 54’ 52 54*93 5i 67 7*14 20*55 i53t *4‘33 7*24 Invaliding per 1,000 strength 16*02 15*00 26*19 19*07 16*58 The number of admissions have greatly increased during the trienniurn. Various causes have brought this about. The Influenza Epidemic of 1918, the Chin Hills operation's, the retention on account of the war of a large number of old and sickly men for light duty, men who in the ordinary course of events would have gone on pension or been invalided. For* the same reason invaliding increased greatly after the termination of the war, but there is still too large a proportion of worn out men in the ranks. Out of the 18,915 in-patients treated, practically one half suffered from malarial fever with a death rate of *42 per cent. This compares very favour¬ ably with the civilian death rate of 2*68 per cent, and shows what can be done by prophylactic measures and early treatment, for the police, as a body, are much more exposed to infection than the civilian population, and serve chiefly in the most malarious parts of Burma, Mandalay Division, Shan States and Chin Hills, Quinine is issued prophylacticallv to the men in all malarious tracts, and the use of mosquito curtains encouraged as much as possible. The latter should be part of the Military Police Sepoy’s permanent equipment. 18. P.ailway Hospitals and Dispensaries.-— There were 28 railway institu¬ tions at the beginning of the trienniurn under review, but only 26 remain at its close, one at Mahlaing and the other at Yinmabin, both in Meiktila District were closed during 1917 and 1918 respectively. During the year 1919, a new dispensary with subsidiary buildings was commenced at Kalaw and is approach¬ ing completion. The total number of patients treated at those institutions was 109,50610 1919 as against 119,815 in 1918. Thus there was a decrease of 10,309 patients which is accounted for by the Chief Medical Officer, Burma Railways, by the disappearance of Influenza in epidemic form and to a marked decrease in the number of cases of malaria treated. The in-door accommodation remained the same as in the previous trienniurn, i.e. 88 beds for males and 4 for females. One thousand one hundred and fifty-two cases were treated as in-door patients as against 1,373 in 1918. Injuries (general and local) contributed 3*6 cases, Malaria 156, All Other Infectious Diseases 74, Dysentery 64 and Pneumonia 52. There were 81 deaths, or 7*03 per cent, of .fdmitted cases. 19. Private lion-aided Dispensaries.—There are at present no non-aided dispensaries in Burma as far as is known. 20. Class.—The percentage of different classes of patients treated during 1917-19 as compared with 1914-16 is given below :— Race. I* , >9*7-*9. 1914-16. Europeans , ... 1*91 2*13 Burmese 58*4 540 Hindus *7*4* 17*27 Mahomedans 12*15 52*17 Other classes 10*29 *45 . The only noticeable difference is that the Burmese have increased by about 4 per cent, and the “ Other Classes,” decreased by the same figure. This is due to difference in classification and has no real significance. Various tribes, such as Karens, Kachins, Chins, Taur.gthus, Shans, etc., formerly called •“ Other Classes,” are now included under the general head of ‘’Burmese.” This change has not, however, been in force throughout the whole trienniurn, so that a further fall amongst “ Other Classes ” must be expected.