Period of death
among patients
after admission.
24
REPORT ON THE
of ·22 per cent. from the previous year. This death-rate, when compared
with that of other hospitals, is very high. The reason of this is that in the
other hospitals only picked cases likely to live are kept, and all those in a low
or dying condition are transferred to this institution.
The following table shows the period of death after admission of all the
cases which succumbed during the year:—
Year.
Die d w i t h i n
2 4 h o u r s .
Percentage.
Died
within a
week.
Percentage.
Died
within a
month.
Percentage.
Died
within 3
months.
Percentage.
Died
after 3
months.
Percentage. Total.
1876
...
225
13·52
825
49·60
403
24·23
210
12·62
. . . . . .
. . . . . . 1,663
1877
...
145
8·40
750
43·45
710
41·13
84
4·86
47
2·72
1,726
Hospital building
and
accommodation.
From the above it appears that during 1877 the largest mortality
occurred amongst those who had not been a week in hospital; the next
highest mortality among those that had been in hospital less than a month,
while only 8·40 per cent. were admitted in a moribund condition and died
within 24 hours, against 13·52 per cent. during the previous year, showing a
decrease of 5·12 per cent. There were only 47 deaths, or 2·72 per cent.,
amongst those who had been in hosbital more than three months."
4. Regarding the hospital building and accommodation, Dr. Mackenzie
writes as follows:
—
"The hospital is capable of accommodating 467 persons. The beds are
divided as follows:—
Beds.
"Medical wards for males only
...
... ...
...
190
"Surgical wards for males and female
...
... ...
. . .
100
"Female wards ...
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
101
"A temporary ward or shed for the treatment of low and moribund cases
...
40
Small-pox wards.
" Europeans, male and female
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
12
"Natives, ditto
...
...
...
...
...
24
Total
...
467
Defects.
Drainage.
Latrines.
"The largest number of patients in hospital on any given day during
the year was 471 on the 13th November: the smallest number 269 on the
28th February. The average number during the year was 343·16.
"The roof of the main building of the hospital is in a very delapidated
condition, and leaks much during the rains. The roof of the temporary shed or
moribund ward requires repair, and the inside of the small-pox hospital requires
to be whitewashed and repaired. These requirements have been brought to the
notice of the Public Works Department.
"The grounds belonging to the hospital are in fairly good order. In
several places, however, during the rains, water lodges. The grounds will be
properly sloped and levelled so as to prevent water lodging in future. There
is a small dirty tank to the south of the hospital close to the dispensary and
hospital offices which should be filled up.
"The drainage of the hospital ground is carried on by means of pucca and
kut c ha dr a i ns ; i t i s s l ope d t owa r ds t wo l a r ge t a nks , one t o t he e a s t , t he ot he r t o
the west of the hospital. Some of the drainage also opens into the hospital
sewers which are connected with those belonging to the municipality.
"The latrines of the hospital are connected with the sewers of the town.
Some of them are in good order and work efficiently. Some of them, however,
to the north and north-east of the hospital, have not a sufficient outfall, and the
pipes very often get clogged with dirt and the flow is impeded. All the defects
of these sewers have been brought to the notice of the Executive Engineer, and
he has been asked to rectify them.