Annual report of the Director of Medical Services for the year 1962-63

ABSTRACT

This report is an extract of a medical services annual report from the Ministry of Health, Barbados, West Indies. It contains Part V. and a sub-section of Part VI. of the original report. Part V. itemizes three aspects of work conducted during the period 1962-1963 under the headings (1) Aedes Aegypti Eradication Programme; (2) Quarantine and Port Sanitation; and (3) Miscellaneous. The Aedes Aegypti Eradication Programme was reported as taking precedence over all other work carried out by the department. Increased work activity was observed in both the northern and southern areas. In the latter, the removal of the contents of certain deposits prior to having them inspected and treated with D.D.T. insecticide may have caused myriads of fertile Aedes eggs to go untreated. The City of Bridgetown area continued to be challenging to efforts to reduce incidence of breeding. Checks for evidence of mosquito and rodent infestation accompanied by remedial measures were undertaken on the premises, schooners and vessels. Thirty-one thousand four hundred and eighty-nine (31,489) serological tests were done. The Public Health Laboratory performed such tests for the entire island.