Utilization of maternity and child health services in Laydaung-gan and Shande-gyi villages of the Hlegu Township

A survey of the utilization of maternity and child health services in the Laydaung-gan and Shande-gyi villages of the Hlegu Township was carried out during the period from 26 April to 4 May 1970. 141 mothers, all those who delivered a baby during the previous 12 months were interviewed. Using a questionnaire in a house-to-house survey, information on utilization of prenatal, perinatal and child health services were recorded. The analysis of the data showed that 141 women, during the previous deliveries excluding the last one, utilized in 68.2 per cent of cases the assistance of themidwife during labour, in 24.0 per cent of cases the assistance of the lethe (traditional midwives) and in 3.3 per cent of cases of the doctor. The same mothers during the last labour utilized the assistance of the midwife in 83.8 per cent of deliveries, of the lethe in 12.0 and of the doctor in 2.1 per cent of all deliveries. Out of the total. number of 143 children born there were 2 twin deliveries. Five deliveries were completed in the hospitals. With regard to the prenatal care, 68.1 per cent of the mothers had on the average 2.9 times urine analysis done for albumen, and 73.8 per cent of all mothers had blood pressure taken, 2.2 times on the average. 56.0 per cent of women were taking medicines during the 1ast pregnancy. Almost 100 per cent of the interviewed mothers received the medicines free of -charge either from the MCH clinic or from the hospital. During the last pregnancy 31.9 per cent of the mothers complained of giddiness, 21.6 per cent of hyperemesis and 22.1 per cent of oedema. The extent of utilized prenatal and perinatal services is shown in several tables. The key person in 'providing prenatal and perinatat. service was the midwife. The lethe appears to be less and less utilized. Trained, qualified midwife is dominating in the maternal and child health care in the two villages surveyed.

Utilization survey of the Hlegu Hospital

The major findings of a hospital utilization survey of the Hlegu Hospital carried out in April 1969 are as follows: During the year 1968, 44,081 services were rendered by the hospital out-patient department to 16,551 persons. This was on the average of 2.7 services per person to 16.9 per cent of the township population. From those who applied for the service 9.5 per cent were found to require hospital treatment and were admitted into the hospital. The highest admission rate was among those who needed maternity and gynaecological services (75.8 per cent). There were on the average 150 services daily given in the out-patient department of the hospital. Morbidity analysis showed that the "Diseases of the Respiratory System" were at the top of the list of the group of most common conditions treated in the hospital at Hlegu (17.6 per cent of all diseases). "Infective and Parasitic Diseases" were the second most common group (17.4 per cent of all diseases) followed by" Accidents, Poisonings and Violence" (14.3 per cent), "Complications of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium" (12.8 per cent) and " Symptoms and Ill-defined Conditions" (9.3 per cent). The analysis of the kind of treatment showed that the highest number of patients were hospitalized for medical treatment (62.2 per cent) and far less for surgical (17.2 per cent) or aternity/gynaecological treatment (13.4 per cent). The analysis of the discharge status showed that 34.2 per cent of all hospitalized people were discharged as cured, 46.0 per cent as relieved and 10.8 per cent as unaltered. Only 3.0 per cent of all hospitalized patients during 1968 died in the hospital, and 5.7 per cent were referred to larger hospitals in the division. The avcrage length of stay was found to be 9.3 days. It was the longest for medical treatment, 10.8 days, for surgical it was 9.3 days and the shortest for maternity and gynaecological treatment, 5.3 days. The highest number of patients stayed in the hospital from 1-10 days (71.2 per cent), and very low number (3.5 per cent), longer than 30 days. The occupancy average of the Hlegu Hospital beds was 104. The authors have concluded, on the basis of their analysis, that it would have been necessary to have a minimum of 54 beds if the release of the pressure on the hospital beds during 1968 was desirable. More than half of the patients, 62.1 per cent had their residence within the distance of five miles from the hospital and only 1.5 per cent at more than 15 miles.

Smoking habits of school children in Rangoon

A survey of smoking habits of schoolchildren in Rangoon was carried out on a random sampleof 4,503 schoolchildren in 5 High School. All the children were of the age between10 and 20. The survey by question naire method was aimed at finding out the prevalenceof smoking habits of schoolchildren, sex differences, age at which smoking starts and when it becomes regular. Also some social factors as well as psychological ones that might have an influence on acquiring smokingt habit were investigated. Out of total number of interviewed schoolchildren, 44 6 percent were found to have had an experience in smoking and 16.6 percent were found to smoke regularly. Girls smoke 4.6 times less than boys, but they start regular smoking earlier than boys (13:16). Number of smokers in the family is highly associated with the number of children who smoke. Among social factors influencing smoking habit it was found that the influence of friends plays an important role in acquiring smoking habits among boys, while the family custom to ask their children to light the cheroot for parents has an influence on acquiring smoking habits among girls.