7
Meetings of the Board of Visitors.—The Board of Visitors held 12 meetings
during the year and individual members of the Board paid 6 additional visits.
The Female Section of the Hospital was visited once by the Lady visitor
Sreejukta Hirabati Gohain Barooahni,
GENERAL REMARKS
1. The whole hospital population was regularly treated with Vermifuges and
Vermicides for hook-worm and other intestinal parasites,
2. Skin diseases and cases of Pyorrhœa Alveolaris were regularly attended to
3. New admissions were vaccinated against small-pox and inoculated with
Cholera vaccine as a prophylactic measure,
4. Blood specimens (Serum) of all admissions were sent to the Pasteur Insti-
tute, Shillong, for Wassermann Test—positive cases were given anti-syphilitic
treatment.
5. Mental patients are given as much freedom as is compatible with safety.
The staff of Keepers and Guards have been taught the ideal of treating the
inmates as sick persons and that their attitude towards them should be that of a
nurse.
The former Superintendent recommended in his report of 1939 under General
Remarks—"Gradation of Patients"—the construction of a convalescent Home for
those patients who are on way to recovery. The present Superintendent endorses
and repeats the recommendations.
The suggestion deserves very sympathetic consideration as such patients
during the process of recovery are adversely affected by association with chronic
cases requiring asylum, and their chances of complete recovery may be permanent-
ly prejudiced by such contact.
Water-supply.—Though the sinking of a 2½" diameter tube-well during 1939
eased the water situation to some extent the supply is still very inadequate for a
population of over 1,000 including staff. The total available water per day is
about 6,500 gallons. It is clear from the previous reports and representations of
the Superintendent that even with the new tube-well to supplement the water-
supply from the Municipal mains, the dearth of an adequate supply of water is still
very great In a hospital of this nature there should be a daily per capita supply
of good water of not less than 2,530 gallons instead of the present inadequate
supply.
Steam disinfector.—About 5,600 articles of clothing have to be dealt with such
as blankets, blanket-kurtas, cotton-kurtas and cotton-jungiahs weekly, and infected
and soiled clothing daily in an old crude blanket boiler. Such a large quantity
of clothing cannot be effectively and regularly dealt with in such boilers. The
necessity of a proper disinfector of the high pressure steam variety has been placed
before the Government. This is under consideration of the Government and is
an urgent need which with the water-supply should be met as early as possible.
Colonel Phipson, C.I.E., D.S.O., M.D., F.R.C.P., D.P.H., I.M.S., the former Ins-
pector-General of Civil Hospitals inspected the Hospital and recorded his satisfac-
tion with the general atmosphere and conduct of the Hospital. He considered
that this reflected much credit on the Superintendent Khan Sahib Dr. Mokhtar
Hussain. The staff worked hard and satisfactorily under difficult conditions, and
the Civil Surgeon Colonel E. R. Daboo, M.C., I.M.S., rendered valuable help as
consultant and adviser.
Your obedient servant,
A. M. V. HESTERLOW,
Lt.-Colonel, I.M.S.,
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Assam.