6
There was an increase in the number of mosquitoes during the year under
report. This is due to some of the kutcha drains in the area which cannot
always be kept absolutely clean.
On the whole sanitation of the whole area of the Indian Mental Hospital
was quite satisfactory.
28. Garden scheme.—This scheme, which materialised in 1926 and was
taken up in right earnest in order to make the hospital self-supporting as far
as the supply of vegetable is concerned, as fully stated in my last year's
Annual Report, has achieved a great success during the year under review for
which credit is due to Babu Jaggannath De, Garden Manager. The full
requirement of the hospital of vegetables was supplied by this garden amounting
to 8 to 10 maunds a day throughout the year under review. The total value of
vegetables and other spices supplied to the hospital was Rs. 17,342-8-0.
The average daily number of patients employed in the vegetable garden
during the year was 136.
Towards the latter part of the year under report surplus vegetables after
meeting the full demand of the hospitals, were sold to the staff and public at
the market rates.
Some more plots were also prepared during the year for growing vegetables
on high lands and the general laying out and levelling of the garden area
continued throughout the year. The whole garden area was fenced and a large
plot of land was specially prepared for growing fruit trees. In this plot
various fruit trees such as bananas, guavas, peaches, papayas, mangoes, etc.,
were planted and it is expected that this " Hospital Orchard " will be able to
supply enough fruits to the patients during 1928-29.
I am greatly obliged to the Director of Agriculture, Bihar and Orissa and
the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Kanke, for their advice and help which
they gave from time to time throughout the year under report.
Great inconvenience is felt for want of buildings and cattle shed in
connection with the garden scheme. It is requested that the Government will
sanction the construction of these buildings as early as possible.
29. Staff.—Insufficiency of the clerical and stores staff, as reported in
my Annual Report for the year 1926, continued throughout the year under
review as the additional staff as recommended by the Inspector-General of
Civil Hospitals, Bihar and Orissa, was not sanctioned during the year.
Nursing staff.—Male nurses for the Male Section and additional female
nurses for the Female Section have not been appointed yet and hence there
is still a complete lack of nursing in the Male Section and inadequate in the
Female Section. The sooner this vital question is settled the better.
Attendant staff.—A slight degree of improvement in the standard of
work of the attendant staff was noticed during the year under report. Still
much remains to be desired in their work. The attendant staff in charge of
suicidal wards deserve great credit, for it was entirely due to their vigilance
that no patient throughout the year under report committed suicide though
numerous desperate attempts were made by many potential suicides.
30. Libraries.—(1) Patients' Library.
Several new English, Bengali, Hindi, Oriya and Urdu books were added
to the library which proved to be a great boon to the literate patients who
take keen interest in the library.
(2) Medical Library.
Many new books and medical journals were also added to this library
during the year under report. This library affords the staff an excellent
opportunity to keep themselves fully informed of all the latest advances in
different branches of medical science specially in the field of Psychological
medicine. It is gratifying to note that the medical staff have taken full
advantage of the library.