Annual report / Medical Department, Fiji.

  • Fiji. Medical Department.
Date:
[1949]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report / Medical Department, Fiji. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/38 (page 33)
    APPENDIX X. THE CENTRAL MEDICAL SCHOOL. From The Principal, Central Medical School, to The Director of Medical Services, Suva. I have the honour to forward the following report for the year 1949 on the Central Medical School. I—HISTORICAL. The medical training of Fijians commenced in the year 1886 at the instigation of Dr. (afterwards Sir) William McGregor who was then Chief Medical Officer. In 1875, the year following the Cession of the Fijis to the British Crown, a devastating epidemic of measles had swept through the Colony, and killed 40,000 of the estimated 160,000 inhabitants. Three years later the first Indian immigrants had arrived in Fiji, and the dangers of small-pox and other epidemics became apparent. With few medical officers at his command, a large population to serve, and a wide stretch of island country to cover, Dr. McGregor decided to train selected Fijians. In the words of an official paper laid before members of the Legislative Council in 1883, these Fijians, “ . . . after completing a course of practical instruction in the hospital, including nursing, may be sent out to assist in healing the sick and arresting the progress of disease . . . These students will also be taught to vaccinate and it is probable that those among them who evince any aptitude or inclination for it may be taught to dispense the simpler forms of medicines. And thus was born the Fiji Medical School, the first Native Medical Practitioners being given their certificates in 1888. Into Dr. B. Glanville Corney’s capable hands was put the task of carrying Dr. McGregor’s ideas into effect, and it is largely due to Dr. Corney’s inspiration and direction during the next 18 years that the School became such a successful venture. In the 42 years following the inception of training, no fewer than 138 Native Medical Practitioners graduated from the School. Of these, 25 are still in practice, and a further ten are living in retirement. In 1928 the School entered a new phase. Other island groups had become interested in the Fiji Medical School, and at the instigation of Dr. S. M. Lambert, Fijian representative of the Rockefeller Foundation, six oth r island administrations decided to join forces with Fiji in establish¬ ing a new Central Medical School. This they did, new buildings were erected, Dr. D. W. Hoodless was appointed as Principal, and the Central Medical School was officially opened by the Governor of Fiji, Sir Eyre Hutson, on 28th December, 1928. The six groups which joined with Fiji were Tonga, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Western Samoa and Cook Islands. Australia later became interested, and sent students from Nauru, Papua-New Guinea and the United States sent students from American Samoa. Since the establishment of the Central Medical School in 1928, a further 183 students have graduated and have returned to their island homes, scattered over 6,000,000 square miles of the Pacific, to practise their profession. The course of instruction, previously of three years, was increased to four in 1931, and it consists of six months of science (biology, chemistry and physics); 12 months of anatomy and physiology; and two and a half years of clinical work in the hospital wards, together with lectures in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and other medical subjects. The course is a comprehensive one, but naturally falls short of the full medical course of a University. For all practical purposes it meets the needs of the territories concerned. In 1946 the name Native Medical Practitioner was changed to Assistant Medical Practitioner. II- -STUDENTS IN RESIDENCE. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Year Year Year Year Dental Pharmacy Total Fiji—Fijians 4 4 4 1 13 Rotumans . . . . 1 1 Indians 1 3 1 5 Western Samoa # . 3 3 i 7 Tonga 1 1 .. i 3 Cook Islands # . 1 1 Gilbert and Ellice Islands 2 2 4 British Solomon Islands .. # # 1 1 Niue Islands # # 2 2 New Hebrides , , . , . . Papua-New Guinea 3 2 • . 5 Nauru 2 • • 2 13 13 15 l l l 44 In addition to the above 44 students one Fijian and one Cook Islander were in residence for the first three months of the year while they completed a supplementary examination in Medicine, in which subject they had failed in the Finals of the previous December. The Indian student in the first year joined the School in July, having been excused his science course as a result of a credit in science in the Cambridge School Certificate. The Samoan student marked as fourth year year was repeating his final year in Medicine, and graduated successfully in September. Ill—STAFF. The School depends for much of its teaching on its honorary lecturers, and when there are many changes in the hospital staff the school suffers. This year, however, has been a comparatively good one in that respect, there having been a full regular staff for the whole time, and few changes amongst honorary lecturers.