2
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE
8. Accommodation.—Accommodation for Indian male patients in
the Mental Hospital, Madras, remains insufficient, but to ameliorate the
present condition the construction of twenty single rooms has been
sanctioned and the work will soon be put in hand. A similar state of
affairs exists in the female enclosure where there is urgency not only for
single room accommodation, but also space for the separation of classes
and types of cases. In the Mental Hospital at Waltair, there is now
accommodation for 79 males and 17 females. Increased accommodation
of 12 ordinary cells and 6 padded cells for filthy, noisy and epileptic
patients appears to be necessary. The accommodation in the Mental
Hospital, Calicut, for 200 males and 62 females is sufficient to meet the
present requirements. The pucca weaving room and the dining hall on
the male side were, however, converted into emergency wards.
9. Buildings—Madras.—The Head Sergeant's quarters and the Nurses'
Guard room for the Isolation camp were completed during the year.
The construction of the drainage in the Isolation camp is nearing
completion.
Waltair.—A separate ward to accommodate eight patients is under
construction.
Calicut.—The construction of bathing shed, shower bath arrange-
ments and a well in the kitchen were all completed during the year.
The annual repairs to buildings in all the three hospitals were as
usual carried out during the year.
10. Sanitation.—The sanitation in all the three hospitals was satis-
factory. Dry earth system of disposing of the night-soil is still in vogue.
11. General hygiene of mental patients.—Personal cleanliness of the
insanes and the sanitation of the buildings were being carefully and
satisfactorily attended to.
12. Drainage.—The drainage system in the Mental Hospitals at
Waltair and Calicut is satisfactory. In the Mental Hospital, Madras, it
is far too primitive and the ultimate disposal of the sewage is most
unsatisfactory. Steps should be taken as soon as possible to remedy this
state of affairs.
13. Water-supply.—In the Madras Mental Hospital the supply of
water is still inadequate. The necessity for adequate supply of water was
also pointed out in the previous report. The water-supply in the other
two hospitals continues to be satisfactory, but during the hot weather
the supply in the Mental Hospital at Calicut is not found sufficient for
bathing purposes. Steps are being taken to deepen the wells.
14. Amusements.—Various kinds of amusements are, as usual, provided
for the patients. In the Mental Hospital, Madras, several concerts and
entertainments were organized during the year and several ladies and
gentlemen from outside associated themselves with these. The patients
still enjoy the privilege of attending cinemas free of charge. The class
for the training of patients in the three R.'s which engaged some of
literary patients in reading and writing had to be discontinued in the
Mental Hospital, Calicut, as the keeper employed for the purpose had to be
sent away owing to the reduction of establishment ordered in G.O.
No. 1753 P.H., dated 28th November 1924. The Honorary Secretary of the
Indian Red Cross Society (Madras Branch) was kind enough to supply
some very useful gifts consisting of hospital requirements, shirts, toilet
requisites and games for the use of the patients in the Mental Hospital,
Calicut.
15. Epidemics.—There was no epidemic in the Mental Hospital,
Waltair, but there was an outbreak of influenza in the Madras Hospital
and cholera in the Calicut Hospital. These outbreaks were responsible
for 2 and 11 deaths, respectively.