Medical Officer's annual report [to] Durban Corporation.

  • Durban (South Africa). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1939]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical Officer's annual report [to] Durban Corporation. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/64 (page 15)
    -15- very much later after appearance of symptoms than in the case of males. The number of female patients is small, but is on the increase lately. Numbers of patients with no obvious signs of V.D. present themselves for examination only. Better accommodation for in-patients is required. Although M.B. 695 causes symptoms to subside rapidly, I suggest that irrigation should not be abolished for reasons of (a) cleanliness; and (b) the establishment of better drainage of uretha and consequent ..prevention of Urethritis and peri-urethral abscesses. Dr. G.D.H. Wallace, Part-time Venereologist, reports in connection with non-Europeans: V.D. is extremely widespread amongst non-Europeans, syphilis being more common amongst Natives and gonorrhoea amongst Indians. Chancroid is also very prevalent amongst Natives. Venereal Diseases are mainly spread by (a) Lack of provision for family life for Natives in town with resultant prostitution and immorality; (b) Ignorance among non-Europeans of contagious nature of diseases and con¬ sequent inefficient treatment; (c) Lack of routine medical examination of Native women seeking employment in town; and (d) Lack of means-of- healthy recreation for non-Europeans. There are at present three non-European clinics, two for Natives and • .•>••• ; '• . '■ , 1 one for Indians. Nine sessions weekly are available for men and eight for women. They are all associated with poly-clinics or general hospitals. One Medical Officer is allotted by King Edward VIII flospital to assist the City Venereologist and this Assistant Medical Officer devotes all his time to Venereal Disease with the exception of being on call at night for general hospital duties occasionally. There are two European male nurses and two European female nurses, four male Native orderlies and five female Native nurses employed whole-time. One European nurse, one European-male nurse and one Indian nurse employed one afternoon weekly at the Indian Clinic. There are six Native health assistants employed in the 'follow-up1 service. 0*00