§ Sir E. Graham-Little, asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been drawn to the position of the Colonial Medical Service in Nigeria, according to an official staff list revised on 1st July, 1947, and published in October of that year, in which the medically qualified administrative personnel includes one director, four deputy-directors, seven assistant directors, 10 administrative senior officers, to control 13 specialists and 109 general medical officers; whether he is satisfied that this proportion of administrative to clinical staff is necessary; if he is aware of the dissatisfaction in the ranks of the clinical staff, which is overworked as compared with the administrative staff; and if he will rectify this position.
18W
Mr. Creech JonesIn addition to the supervision of specialists and general medical officers, the Director of Medical Services and his administrative staff are responsible for the control of a staff of over 4,000 in hospitals, dispensaries, laboratories, X-ray departments and in sanitation, malaria, sleeping sickness and welfare units. This staff serves an area almost equal to the combined areas of the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, having a population of 22 million. It is considered that the distribution and ratio of senior administrative staff is not disproportionate. The administrative senior officers may be either Senior Medical Officers of Health; in charge of yellow fever research, malaria and sleeping sickness control; or performing medical liaison duties with other Departments and with local authorities. I am aware that all branches of the Medical Service in Nigeria have a very heavy burden of work, and the territory has received, and is receiving, priority in the recruitment of additional staff.