Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-09-08
Clinics, Preventive Treat
ments, Examinations Of
fered Free to Coun-
ty Citizens
PREVENTION CHIEF
PURPOSE OF WORK
Sanitation and Inspection of
food Establishments Big
Item in Activities of Health
Department; DR.. Gregg
Outlines Work of Organi-
cation
BY DIR. A. ID. GREGG,
Vance County Health Officer


Judging from reports given out from
State Board of Health there are a
good many counties that have recently
or will soon establish a full-time
"health department." and as this is.
the time of the year that county COM
missioners are worried over how to
finance the various departments OF
the county and not raise the tax as
sessment to where the people will
kick too hard.
The commissioners naturally would
not wish to allOt money to anything
the taxpayers do not approve, and
we health workers are wondering II
the city and county Taxpayers ap-
prove of a health department as now
operated in this county. The tax
payers naturally wish to know what
we are doing and what they are get
ting from the health department for
their money.
To help them decide we are giving
you some of the various items of
work which we do in quantities, and
their money value at very low prices,
lower than would be the fee of the
average doctor for the same service.
| This list is only a part of the many
things we do for the citizens of Hen
derson and the county. To count or
enumerate them all would make the
! list tireSOme, but the items given be-
| low are enough to prove the money
value of health department.
Figures taken from semi-annual re-
port Jan. 1,-June 80, 1887:
| Babies examined and treated, 10 at
$500 each, $4,000.
Expectant mothers having no doc
tor, sc at $500 each, $33OOO
Visits by nurses to those patients,
100, at $1.00 each, $4,000.
Vaccinations for smallpox, AS, at
$1.00 each, $415.00.
Vaccinations for diphtheria, 26O, at
$500 each, $4,000.
Vaccinations for typhoid complete,
1880 at $500 each, $2,560OO.
Wassermann blood test, 495, at $500
! each, $4,000.
Treatment for syphilis, $40 at $500
| each, $2,61O.O0.
Patients treated for gonorrhea, IS
at $40 each $4,000.
School children examined by ply
sicians 1886 and school children exam
| ined by nurses 1910 at $1OO each,
| $2,475.OO.
Food handlers examined including
blood test 178 at $500 $355.OO
Patients seen for welfare depart
ment 435, at $500, $9O5OO.
Visits to county institutions 100 at
$3.50, $4,000.
Visits for welfare department, SO at
$500, $4,000.
Children examined for work cards.
95, at $1.O0 $95OO./
Sanitary visits by health depart
ment, 865, at $1.OO, $865OC.
Cafe and hotels inspected and rated,
375, at $780, $75O.OO
Complaints answered by health de-
partment, 200 at $1.OO $4,000.
Miles Travelled by staff $500, at 2 1-2
cent mile $500.
Services and consultations given in
office, 1895 at $1.OO, $3,495OO.
Total six months ...... $18,46OOO
Now here is what the above cost the
people, IL of years budget is $500.
The above total gives $3.50 service for
$1.OO spent. The county and city
share of this $5,109. is $4,000. There
fore, the county has received on these
items mentioned above approximately
$3.50 for each dollar they have put
into the county health department.
Add to this numerous items in small
er quantities, and the work of con-
trolling infectious diseases, and the
many intangible services as health edu
cational value given by demonstrations
lectures, school room talks and news
paper articles, and think it through.
does the health department pay?
Duties Health Department
The health department is not a
curative agency set up to prescribe for
or to treat sick individuals, unless
that individual or his illness is a
menace or source of danger to the
health of other individuals. The
health department is primarily con-
cerned in the health of a community,
and of masses of people and concerns
Itself with individual cases only when
that case effects, or is liable to eff
feet the public health. Therefore, our
work is one of prevention and protec-
ton.
A city or community pays for the
upkeep of police force and a fire