5
The hospital is fully equipped with the latest gramophone machines and
a large stock of most up-to-date Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Oriya and English
records. Records are purchased every year and the selection is made by the
patients assisted by the staff. On odd days in the week when musicians do not
entertain the patients the gramophones are greatly in demand and patients
enjoy the playing of them immensely.
During the Pujahs, the Funnyman of Calcutta entertained the patients
one evening. During the year under report patients were also entertained one
evening by a famous magician. Occasionally some clever musicians from the
inmates of the hospital also entertain patients. The temporary recreation
halls of both the sections are fully equipped with various musical instruments.
Feasts were given to all the patients during the Pujah and Holi
festivals. Special feasts were given to Hindu, Muhammadan and Christian
patients during their respective festivals. Patients' religious feelings and
sentiments are respected as far as practicable and many are encouraged
to observe fasts on religious grounds if they so desire and a special diet is
arranged for them.
23. Diet.—The diet of this hospital is worked out with the greatest care
as it affects the well-being and happiness of so many people and is chiefly based
on vitamines and caloric values. During the year under report a further
scientific survey of the diet was made and it was found out that the diet was
a little deficient in its fat constituents. To meet this deficiency half a chatak
of good ghee per head per diem was immediately sanctioned. In my opinion
the diet of this hospital is quite satisfactory, and the numerous unsolicited
satisfactory remarks expressed in this direction by a large number of general
public who visited the hospital during the year under report, as well as by the
official and non-official members of the Visiting Committees (ladies and gentle-
men) of this hospital appointed by Government, lend further support to my
opinion on the diet of this hospital. Moreover, the monthly weight charts of
patients which show a general rise throughout the year under review are ample
testimony for the diet of this hospital.
24. Patients' clothing and bedding.—During the year under report scales
of clothings and beddings befitting a modern mental hospital were drawn up
and submitted to Government for sanction. It is hoped that the scales may be
sanctioned as early as possible.
The destruction of clothing and bedding is becoming markedly less every
year which proves beyond doubt that the patients are becoming more content,
better cared for and less irritable. The destruction is less in spite of the fact
that strong, ugly looking, coarse jail clothings were entirely substituted by
lighter and more comfortable materials. This observation lends further support
to the argument that the more patients' attire approach to that of the normal,
the greater content will prevail and incidentally less destruction and more
economy will result.
25. Parole.—Dependable and non-dependable patients are allowed to go
out daily for their morning and evening walks, the former without and the
latter with attendants. The hospital char-a-banc is as usual in great demand
by patients for motor drives and shopping at Ranchi.
26. Cinema.—The claims for a Cinema machine as one of the most valu-
able forms of psychotherapy is undisputed, so much so that a mental hospital
without a Cinema machine is never considered " Modern."
27. Sanitation.—There was no epidemic disease of any kind either in the
hospital or in the staff line, except one case of small-pox in the staff line, the
victim being one of the attendants, who was immediately removed to the
Ranchi Sadr Hospital and all his contacts were thoroughly disinfected and
segregated. Stringent sanitary measures such as vaccination of all patients and
staff, etc., were taken.