[Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, County of Zetland (Shetland Islands).

  • Shetland (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, County of Zetland (Shetland Islands). Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/22 (page 11)
    the completion of their treatment. At present it is difficult to get hospital accommodation for,such cases. The report of professor Aitken. and Dr, Thompson (Scottish Hospitals Survey Report on the North-Eastern Region.) suggests that the cime may come when our sanatorium will he a unit in a large regional tuberculosis scheme. One hopes that it will then, be easier for bed accommodation, to be obtained in the south, when required., and for uS to obtain a consultant’s services in Lerwick periodically^. Surgical Tuberculosis Gilbert Bain Hospital. There were 23 patients admitted, 17 discharged and 5 deaths among patients suffer- ing from tuberculous conditions in the Gilbert Bain Hospital. 144 X-ray examinations of tuberculous patients or patients suspected of ,suffering from a tuberculous condition were made at the .Gilbert Bain Hospital during the year. Other Institutions . Stracath.ro ilosuital treated two cases~of tuberculosis from Shetland and two others are at present in Southfield Sanatorium. Domiciliary Supervision - The task of keeping in touch with tuberculosis cases is not always easy, and requires the co-operation of the patients. . District Nurses have performed a total of 851 visits to 156 tuberculous patients in their homes. In Lerwick burgh Nurse Shearer has visited 71 patients making a total of 352 visits.. CARE OP THE AGED AND INFIRM In, the County Homes a daily average of 40 old or chronically ill people are nursed. There have been '33 admissions, 12 discharges and 17 deaths. The Matron, Governor and staff have performed their exacting duties with a devotion that can only be appreciated fully by those who are familiar with the difficulties of this kind of nursing. There has been,a shortage of domestic and of nursing staff at various times during che year. It has already been mentioned in this report that there is in Shetland an even higher age average of the community than in Scotland generally. . A large proportion ' of old and infirm people will in future be- relying ori a . } decreasing number of able bodied younger persons to take care of them during their last few years. The fact that in many cases the children of these old folk will be earn- ing their living away from home increases the difficulty. Financial help for the aged may be forthcoming from the relatives/