Child abuse is as age-old problem which involves physical, emotional and sexual abuse and also the unauthorised administration of drugs to children. The problem does not arise from just a single cause or factor but is multifactorial. One big area is the presence of social situational stresses prior to or during the episodes of abuse. The author has carried out a retrospective study of twenty cases of child abuse investigated by the Department of Social Welfare, Kuala Lumpur from December 1979 to January 1980. This paper describes part of the findings, namely the social situational stresses. The findings are found to be similar to those of other studies, both local and abroad.
Some epidemiological aspects of antepartum psychoses have been discussed and wherever possible, are compared with some Western studies. On the whole, the disorder appears to be associated with the young lower social class Chinese lady who has family and / or marital relationship conflicts.
Endoscopy gives a more accurate diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal pathology than barium studies. General practitioners should be able to request this valuable diagnostic service so that a rapid diagnosis would ensure that patients with dyspepsia are not treated empirically with expensive drugs and that patients with carcinoma or ulcer receive prompt and appropriate therapy. This paper examines the Changi Hospital's open-access endoscopy service to the local general practitioners and government outpatient doctors working at nearby outpatient dispensaries, and will serve to underline the value of such a service and why it obviates that long queue for the barium meal appointment.
Study site: Surgical outpatient clinic, Changi Hospital, Singapore
The importance of epidemiology and epidemilogical knowledge of plantation health and disease in the planning of health care & effective management of a plantation is highlighted. The results of the survey of endemic diseases in the estates in Peninsular Malaysia are presented and compared with national disease patterns. The disease patterns in the plantations are similar to those for the country in general. Differences that exist are due to differences in the ecology of the plantations. The health effects of ecological changes consequent on development and progress are referred to. Most of the endemic communicable diseases encountered in the plantations can be prevented and controlled through the improvement of the micro environment of the plantations and the utilisation of simple available appropriate technologies for health care and services.