Annual report on the Medical Department / Straits Settlements.

  • Straits Settlements. Medical Department.
Date:
[1930]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Medical Department / Straits Settlements. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/136 (page 8)
    (4) Comparative prevalence of Tuberculosis in Urban and Rural areas, *93<J: — Estimated Death-rate from Number of Tuberculosis Population all diseases per thousand deaths from Tuberculosis death-rate per thousand Singapore Municipality ... George Town 495,818 27-73 1,622 Cities 3-2 (Penang) Malacca 146,935 26.81 474 Municipality ... Rural areas of 44T35 25.92 ii5 ! Rural areas Colony 481,918 27.13 584 J i-2 (5) Amelioration of the conditions of the life of the poor, and especially as regards housing, is the most important preventive measure. Housing improvement schemes are in operation in the Municipalities of Singapore and Malacca, and may be introduced in the Municipality of Georgetown (Penang). These schemes will, it is hoped, lead to the early abolition of congested tenement houses, and, in particular, of ill-lighted and ill-ventilated cubicles. (6) Separate hospital provision for advanced cases of tuberculosis exists in most hospitals, but the provision of one or two separate hospitals for such cases is desirable; a start will probably be made in Singapore this year. Com¬ pulsory isolation of the dangerously infective is not yet practicable. (7) As regards the early case, facilities for treatment exist in the General Hospital, Singapore, and will shortly be provided at the General Hospitals in Penang and Malacca. (8) With the sustained diminution of overcrowding in the cities by the operation of improvement schemes, the establishment of Municipal Tuber¬ culosis Clinics for the detection and education of the early case, should now be seriously considered. (9) The teaching of hygiene in schools and child welfare centres is a useful adjunct against this disease. (c).—MALARIA In considering malaria, deaths registered as “unspecified fever” some of which are due to malaria, must be taken into account Figures for the past five years are : — Year Malaria Fever unspecified T otal 1926 6,452 2,398 8,850 1927 ... 6,283 2,161 8,444 1928 5>798 1,636 7,434 1929 ... 4,648 1,764 6,412 1930 ... 5’0I8 P995 7,oi3 As against the previous year, there is a decrease in Penang Island from 582 to 522 and in Province Wellesley from 1,327 to 1,226: figures for the Settlement of Malacca 1,521 against 1,370: for the Settlement of Singapore 1,546 against 1,179, °f which 1,403 occurred within Singapore City. The Municipal Health Officer, Singapore, points out that in his opinion, less than 22 per cent of these were infected in Singapore City. I11 this connection, the