Mr. Creech Jonesasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what measures of prevention and treatment are being adopted in the Gold Coast for dealing with silicosis?
§ Mr. Harold MacmillanTwo medical officers of the Gold Coast medical service 1681W undertook an investigation into the incidence of tuberculosis and silicosis amongst mine-workers in the Tarkwa area of the Gold Coast between April, 1940, and January, 1941. Their interim report, which has been published by the Gold Coast Government, reveals that considerable progress has been made with the investigation of this problem. Arrangements were subsequently made for one of the medical officers who is a specialist in these diseases to visit South Africa to obtain the advice of the authorities in Johannesburg who have special knowledge and experience of these problems. Before adequate preventive measures can be introduced, it is necessary to obtain fuller information regarding the dust counts of the atmosphere at the various working places, and arrangements have been made for officers of the mines department to receive instruction in this subject. The report showed that the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis was higher than that of silicosis and suggested that it was a much greater menace to the health of mine employees. The medical officer referred to above has now been freed from all routine duties to allow him to devote his full time to the investigation of the incidence of tuberculosis. All known cases of these diseases are receiving the necessary treatment, but the elimination of silicosis must of course depend on methods of prevention.