Good health to Scotland (1943)

the people of industrial Scotland know little of the difficulties of life in the mountains and glends of the Highland where many a farm or Croft is miles from its nearest neighbor its nearest church or its nearest school it is a healthy vigorous country but families have to be reared and sickness and accidents occur just as they do in town or Village to give the highlands a good medical service is the responsibility of the Department of Health for Scotland in cooperation with the local authorities and above all the family doctor and District nurse their task is not easy miles often swept by wind and snow May separate their patients often too their patients are Islanders separated from the mainland By the Waters of the Atlantic there is a multitude of these small islands with no regular means of communication with the mainland frequently they are not even connected by telephone and when medical attention is required these these Islanders must still resort to the Smoke signal to summon aid from the mainland if a doctor is lucky The Crossing may be pleasant but whether it be the Open Sea or Inland lock there is every possibility that the weather might quickly change to a gale and the such conditions the removal of a patient to hospital would often be almost impossible but for the air and an used by the highlands and Islands medical service thus the smoke signal and the most modern means of Transport unite to bring to a farway patient the resources of today's Medical Science and surgical practice here is a problem of a different kind which faces the local authorities in the industrial areas overcrowding and bad housing conditions the legacy of uncontrolled development are the worst enemies of Public Health the work and responsibilities of the local doctors and of the health services are increased tfold in these areas where the playground of the children is an insanitary backyard or a dirty pavement and yet there has been a definite Improvement in the General Health over the past years an important development is the increasing attendance at anti-natal Clinics of expectant mothers the value of these clinics is not only in the early diagnosis of any possible complication regular observation by Specialists ensures a successful termination to childbearing a life-sized doll is used at lectures on mothercraft and these mothers to be quickly acquire confidence in their ability to fulfill the duties of motherhood but child birth is subject to the unexpected occasionally a last minute emergency may arise and to meet this mobile maternity units are kept ready thanks to this organization the equipment of a modern hospital the services of experienced midwives and specialists in Gynecology may be quickly transported to wherever they are needed this was an emergency a case in the Thousand where a blood transfusion was imperative at no time in history have children required and received so much care and consider ation for their physical well-being today mothers may take their infants and toddlers to the Child Welfare clinics where the progress and development of their children is watched by experts in child welfare this service is not only a source of reassurance to mothers but ensures that no child need ever suffer in afterlife from any preventable weakness which early diagnosis can eliminate the nursery school was a valuable Social Service in peacetime now nursery centers all over the country are releasing thousands of mothers for war workor work which can be undertaken with an easy mind for these mothers know that their children are being well cared for in happy surroundings enjoying the fun and benefit of mixing with Children of their own age they are being trained in elementary personal cleanliness which is the foundation of healthy living and the mothers know too that their children are being wellfed and that by example and association with older children they acquire a knowledge of table manners in Easy stages at School the children are looked after by the school medical service regular medical and dental inspection and treatment ensures that no inherent weakness no contracted infection remains undetected faulty eyesight sometimes causes the child unnecessary mental strain careful testing often reveals minor failings which can be remitted if caught in time defia is deadly close close the door against this Scourge immunize your children posters with these words are to be seen everywhere inoculation is a simple painless injection which renders the child practically immune from the Fatal effects of this disease it is voluntary but no mother should fail to get her children immunized and so save them the suffering and the risk of death which def Thea brings with it and throughout the entire school life of every child they are never allowed to forget the prime importance of personal cleanliness all right that's right Sandy wash them well and wash them often the girls are taken a step further and they are taught laundry work or it's right that the mothers of tomorrow should know how to keep a household clean the first step to Good Health but medical supervision and cleanliness are not enough they must be prop L fed with the right balance of vitamins and calories milk has great bodybuilding properties and the daily issue in the school room helps to balance any irregularities in the child's normal diet at many schools lunches are also provided and the menus are selected to suit the needs of growing bodies and developing Minds it is our duty to see that the new generation is well nourished well trained and kept in Sound Health just before the outbreak of the War the government had built a number of special holiday camp schools in the heart of the country just as this one is but when the danger from Air Raids became imminent these camp schools were used for children evacuated from congested target areas the task of evacuating thousands of children was enormous and full of difficulties and yet through it all the children's education was scarcely interrupted while they benefited immensely from this well-regulated life in healthy surroundings what are the children's f fathers and mothers and grown up brothers and sisters throughout the country they are putting their utmost energies into turning out the Munitions and materials that will bring Victory the strain of unaccustomed long hours and heavy work affects some people more than others so steps have to be taken to prevent the less robust taxing their strength Beyond repair in a number of factories where mental and physical demands are particularly strenuous regular medical inspection prevents any worker falling below par without being sent to his doctor for treatment unattended ills mean not only the loss of men power but the possibility of permanent injury to health and in a democracy the well-being of every individual is a matter of the first importance in preparation for heavy air raid casualties many emergency hospitals such as this finely equipped one were specially built and staffed luckily they have not been required to the extent for which they were prepared and many of them are now being used to relieve the voluntary hospitals which even in peace time had long waiting lists of patients seriously in need of treatment this emergency hospital has been used by the Department of Health in a farseeing industrial Health experiment which has proved of Great Value in preserving the health of young workers here on the recommendation of their own doctors are sent workers whose condition requires special overhaul and investigation in the hospital they are under the observation of Specialists whose diagnosis enables them to arrest the development of conditions which might have led to permanent disablement the patient own doctors are kept informed of their condition and their progress many of the workers are found to need a period of convalescence and building up before returning to their work and this is provided rest good meals well cooked and well served fresh air and companionship and pleasant surroundings are a major part of the treatment to these hospitals each in fine surroundings staffed by experts and equipped with modern appliances come workers from all parts of industrial Scotland to find new Strength and to preserve the health they might have lost here too come men and women suffering from the strain of Life under heavy raiding men and women who have sometimes lost their homes and their dear ones or who have been buried under shattered buildings or affected by shock the ARP first aid parties are the Frontline auxiliaries of the public Medical Services whose entire organ ation has to be ready for any emergency of War neither OTS nor Nazi planes have been able to stop our convoys getting through from all parts of the world ships bring to Scottish ports food raw materials and arms these must be unloaded with all speed but the ships must not be allowed to bring caros of infection and disease as well foreign Crews infected passengers contaminated food stuffs and plague carrying rats can all introduce germs which quickly spread and cause serious epidemics which are difficult to control to prevent contaminated food entering the country specimens of all incoming cargos are taken by the Port Authorities to the city analyst for examination if the results are satisfactory the cargo will be released without delay but if there's any doubt at all the cargo is held up for further investigation our defense against the invasion of disease must be as ceaseless and as watchful as our defense against Invasion by the enemy Flags stuck on the that of the world indicate from which foreign Port every ship has sailed the examining doctor therefore knows what particular diseases might be encountered and as he goes from the key to the ship he will be running over in his mind the various symptoms of infection he ought to look for the doctor is received by a ship's officer who has everything arranged for the medical inspection first of all the ship's medical papers have to be examined a clean bill of health will make the doctor's task easier most important are the records of D rization which means the elimination of rats in addition to the material damage they do they are the worst disease carriers these dead ones will be examined to see that they are not infected with plague the crew is assembled for inspection the doctor runs them over you're a fine healthy looking fellow obviously nothing matter with you seen are naturally healthy and their tough open air life keeps them so but occasionally someone is unfortunate an accident or some infection picked up in a foreign port in either case removal to hospital is usually essential and if infection is suspected the patient must be isolated and kept under observation but the major problem which has always confronted our health services is bad housing I'm healthy living conditions will one day be swept away and already Scotland has built over 350,000 new workingclass houses since 1919 new houses which took countless children away from narrow congested streets and gave them and their parents good air and Gardens in which to enjoy the sunshine the war has [ __ ] this work of reconstruction but new plans are ready for new community centers and new houses for the people for all responsible authorities regard housing as of first importance in the interests of Public Health the children will have open spaces near their own homes and build up sound physiques for the day when they take over their responsibilities as Citizens the Secretary of State for Scotland is working on a housing plan which may well rank as one of the greatest contributions ever made to the health and well-being of Scotland freedom from ill health will be made more certain when this great scheme goes into operation immediately after the war plan to save the housewife drudgery and good to look at good to live in those new houses with the efficient and constantly developing organization of Public Health and Medical Services will bring increasingly good health to Scotland