No. 14187 (H.—Medl.).
FROM
J. G. BEAZLEY, ESQ., I.C.S.,
Secretary to Government, Punjab,
Transferred Departments,
To
THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA, HOME DEPARTMENT.
Dated Lahore, the 6th June 1925.
Home.
Medical
SUBJECT :—Statistical tables of the Punjab Mental Hospital
Lahore, for the year 1924.
SIR,
I AM directed to forward, for the information of the Govern-
ment of India, the statistical tables of the Punjab Mental
Hospital, Lahore, for the year 1924, together with a note
thereon by the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Punjab,
and to convey the following remarks of the Punjab Government
(Ministry of Education).
2. The daily average population of the Mental Hospital in
1924 was 24.26 less than in the previous year, the decrease of
about 3 per cent., being attributed to the fact that the charge
for maintenance of patients was raised at the beginning of the year
from Rs. 16 to Rs 20. This conclusion is borne out by the figures
as to receipts from paying patients which, even allowing for
arrears not yet collected, did not increase to anything approxi-
mating the rate of increase in the fees. Even with this decrease
the daily average population was in excess of the capacity of the
hospital, and at times the overcrowding was excessive. The
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals observes that the completion
of the new criminal section with accommodation for 200 patients
will relieve the congestion in the male hospital, but that this
section has not yet been occupied as Government sanction has
not yet been received for the extra staff that will be necessary.
Such sanction has, however, not yet been applied for, and the
Inspector-General is being instructed to expedite the necessary
proposals. Other improvements in the accommodation for
patients and staff have been held up owing to the necessity for
economy in recent years, but it is hoped that most of the
deficiencies will be remedied in the current year.