7 minute read
Health, Sanitation, and Social Services
Fi sea I car I ~G8 \\\lS onr of nccclcrated expnnsic,n in 0!'!{;1niL:1tion. prog!'ams :incl ,rr\'in•s in hc-alth. ~:111i1:11io11 :rncl soc-ial \l'I"\ ires. . \ 11c1, 111et.lic:.tl t li11ic. ~1a!l\:d l.Jv a full-1i111c physil'i:'111 a11<l a complc111~111 of 1111rsc-s. w:1, 1•st:1blislH'd at rlic-,011d1crn encl of the ll'n-ilor·,. rhc Dcpar1111c111 of Publil" I ll•,ilth :ind Sori:11 Sr1vicr~ \\il) dr,igr1a11·d :1~ 1111' ~t~Hc• al!t'IH")' for co111pn·lll'mil'C' he.11th pla1111i11~-lw~pit.d a11d 111c•di, al facilities pl:11111ing. and tl1l' at:l'l1l') rr,pon,ihl<· for t l II' implrnw 111;11 ion of the stale \\'atcr Quality Sta11clanl~. .\[1·dirarc. ~lcdic,1icl. a11d .I udil"aid.
Tlw rcrriro1/s C:om11rrhcnsi1·r Hcalch Plan "·a~ adopt<·d :111d 1r:1s !win!.( implc11n·11tnl Lill ou1.d1 tlw lll'll'!I' or~:111i1cd C:oonlinating C.:01111cil co111prisrcl of prof<·s~ionnl nnrl l.1r C'iti,l'm of the territory .. \ c·o111rn1·1 11':l, 1wgo1i:11ccl "'ith the School oi Publit· l kal1l1. Uni,·cr,ity of I fa\\'aii,. 10 1wo1·iclc c-1,11sultalio11. recruiting cissi,1:inrr and ,upponi,·c scn·iccs. .\11 ill!<'llSi\·I' s:init:1li1m i11s1wctio11 prO!!ltllll \\'US r;1n ird 0111 :1t :1ll limi11c·s~ cs1ublislu11i.:1m. i11dudi111! alil'll labor r;imps. and r<·sult('(I in suhst:inti,d i111pro1·c·mr·111s in ~:lllitarl' forilici<', :incl living nmt.li1ions. •
Jsbndwidc- dC'anup and bl·auti/il':1t io11 progr:1ms wPrr 1111cl1·rt.1k1·n jniml, by lite !{O\'l•r111111·11I :11ul C'i1·ir· org:ini/:itions. during 1d1id1 l11mcl1t:d, of uhuncloncd motor 1<•l1id1•~ 1,lTc disptt~cd 1,I and ll1011sancl~ of tl'<'<'S \\'err pl:1nt(•cl d1rou,1.dwul lhl' tc·rri1ory.
Th<' 21:i-brcl C11:irn t-Cc111orial I fo,pit:1I uncl1'1w<·11t s11b~iantiul 111:.ijor irnprow111cnt, duri11!! 1111· year, i11cl11din!! 1·onsLrnc1ion of a largL· i,ob1io11 d1•li\'l'n· room ~uite. insc:illario11 oi a radio pug-ing- ~,·sr!'rn ior c·me11rcm·,· communication. and d!'n:lop11ll'nt of :1 nc,, physi,ul 1hrrnp)' dcp,Hllll<'n t. funds 1,·rr1· :11loral<'d for th1· l'l·11io11l-li11~ of (he F \\'int:, of c:unin .\klllUI inl l lospit:11 ro, it~ 111ili~:it1on :t< a 111lwrntfo5i~ facility. .\ total of 7,329 palirms were acl111iuc<l during 1he year. including 1.915 newborn :ind 126 rnbrrrnlnr r:1scs.
Patient s1•1YiC<'~ rcmkrcd amounted 10 S2.1Gi328, an increase of S~IJ0.2-10 o,·cr the 1wc\·ious year. . \ tot.ii oi $1,26036!) \\';JS c·ollcctccl in accc,11n1s l'l'ccivablt•, au increase of :j,2!.l 13211 o\'cr the prr,·ious >'t':'\r. Credit~ on :ihatl'lllPnts lolnlrcl ~100,210. .\"011charg<':1blc-srn·icl', in the- form of Lube,culosis trcnuncnt. mental hcallh ~t·r\in·, .\.L.S .. .\"l:'\J)B. ~rhool injuriPs. puhlir wdf:irc•. c-11 .. :1111011ntNI In $36:).-135.
The So,·i:il Sl'I'\ icl~ Bo,1nl. whith lw:irs <':tS<'s in 1"11irh p:-ilients :'\re unnhlc rn pn>' their hospitnl accounts but arc othcr\\'isc cli!!iblc to rccci,·c wclian.: bcndils. appro,·c<l aba1cn1cnt of acrounts a111011111ing Lo $112.179. Total n11mbrr of r:1~<·s consiclcrrcl ,,·:1s 368. ;111 incr<·ns,· oi l•l:l o,·c:r the previous yl'ar. ln 1w11ropsyd1iatric sC'n·irc. 228 1x11icnts were s!'en. c1·:ilt1:1tecl. :1nrt ll"f'atccl.
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A Zoonosis Control section was organized and the Nutrition section was reorganized in the Department of Public Health and Social Services. A comprehensive speech and hearing center also was established.
Objectives of the new Zoonosis Control section include the surveillance and control of aH animal diseases transmissible to man. As of October 1967, a tota1 of 89 positive rabies cases were reported. The first such case was reported in March 1967, and since that time a total of 18,600 stray dogs and cats have been destroyed.
Twenty-seven rabies vaccination clinics were held in all 19 civilian communities for the second year in a row. One thousand and twenty animal bite cases were reported during the year and 98 percent of the animals involved were apprehended and held for 14 days.
The antirabies program was 'Overseen by a seven-member Rabies Advisory Board comprising representatives from the Navy, Air Force, and the Departments of Agriculture and Public Health and Social Services.
Initial planning and staffing commenced during the year for the implementation of the mental health and mental retardation programs. The Public Health Department, however, continued to experience recruitment difficulties, including a high rate of turnover of professional personnel.
A new program to provide intensive medical care, social, nursing and dental services to "high risk" pregnant women was started in February 1968.
Tuberculosis incidence remained high during the year. There were 91 admissions for hospitalization, an increase of 15 over the previous year. Forty percent were new active cases.
Assistance rendered residents of the Trust Te1Titory of the Pacific increased substantially, from 26 cases handled during the calendar year 1966, to 82 cases in 1967.
In the area of dental health, the Governor issued an executive order requiring the fluoridation of all public drinking water by the end of 1968. The Ninth Guam Legislature enacted legislation authorizing free dental care to all school children up to the age of 16, but implementation of the program was substantially curtailed because the Department of Public Health and Social Services was unsuccessful in its efforts to recruit the required dentists.
The Guam water quality standards was approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior and is ex-pected to facilitate improvements in the territory's sewage and other liquid waste disposal programs. , The Division of Social Services expanded its facilities and programs during the year. A branch office was established at the southern end of the island and additional working space was provided to all programs through the rental of commercial space.
Academic and industrial arts classes were provided inmates of the Juvenile Detention Home during the year, and a "half-way house for boys was opened.
Under the division's work experience and training program, a total of 76 trainees participated.
The Medicaid (Title XIX) program was inaugurated during the year and 977 cases were processed and serviced with monthly referrals averaging approximately 100 cases.
A total of 2JO nurses were issued licenses during the year. The Guam Board of Nurse Examiners assisted in the development of an associate degree nursing program at the ColJege of Guam.
The Guam Economic Opportunity Commission established seven Area Opportunity Centers during the year.
Their prim:11-y function i~ to idrnlify the poor in <·arh di~tri('t. ddcnninc th<:ir lll'Cds. a11d dc,·c!up :rncl i111ple111c11t p1ogrn111s 10 lwlp e:i•r the-impart of po,·l·rty. .\ ,·arir1y of pro_icn~ were undertakfn. inrluclin!! r11to1 ing ( for which 250 were enrolled\. pil'~rhool (130). rcmcclial n:aclin!{ (20). pn•jol; 1 116 L ;111d ~ewi11!{ ( 181' claS$<'~, recreation :incl vmnh ;Kti,·i1ies. :\ • work-ori<·nlrd rmnponcnt umlcr llw f.ronm11ir Opponu11i1y (:c,111111i~sion is the Xei!.!hhorhnod Youth Corps. a ,,·ork-s1udy pro~ram for youtJ1s lG to 21 years of age fro111 low-incollle families. :\hout I 00 ,·ount;slC'rs were assisted clurin~ the period.
F,oc·s wnior ritizrns component pr<widcs people 50 )t',11, of age and
older 1\"ith scn·ic1·s i11 1w1. onal _£,"11icl:111r..-nnd coun~rlin~. :'ldult basi(' rclucation, lwalth. 1cn-(•a1io11, and in some c:ues emplO}'IIIClll.
A total of 1,221 potential senior citizen clients from throughout the territor\' were inte1Yil'wC'd and :>23 of them \\'l'rr rnrolkd in adult basic edura1ivn. The S\'Hior citiiens component rC'fnred 127 for ~lcdicnicl :ind 63 others for social scn·iccs.
Twt·h-<' ~t·wing classes \\'ere roncl11c·1ed <.luring the year :111d i 1 rlderl>· ririz1·ns <·0111plctrd 1hl' ba~ic roursc.
The initi.11 \'!ST.\ projccl began in :\"o\'emhcr 1967, wirb 15 ,·olumcrr, irom rlw cominrntal l."nited States participating. The ,·olu11tcc1, \\'orked doscly wid1 thi: .\iea Opponunity Center staffs in lhe cle\·elopmcnt and impl<'mcntation of 1hr ,·arious pro,;ratnl(.
In many of the prol!rnm,. tOC worked jointly wi1h 1hr (;O\•Prnor·s C:0111111itt<'r c111 Childrc·n :1tnl Youlh, a l.!r<>up t•s1ablishi>d •I >cars ago to assist youn~ people and help comhat j11w·11ilr clC'linq11cncy.
Thr 1-'.c,,nomic Opporlunitr C:rn111His,in11 ,p,111,nrs ~,•win-: .-1:iss<'s rnr M'nior ri1i1.cns of th,· tt·1-ril111').
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Among major projects of the Governor's Committee on Children and Youth during the year were the provision of summer employment to high school students, and the sending of a Babe Ruth baseball team to the continental United States where the local athletes competed in the Babe Ruth World Series.
The veterans affairs section of the office of cl)ief commissioner consolidated a census of military veterans which showed a population of 2,225. Services performed included the certification of 105 applications for FHAV A loans. Thirty were approved.
Under the Guam Housing Corporation program, 57 veteran applicants were certified with 31 approved and 31 pcmding at the end of the fiscal year.
Thirty-eight veterans who qualified under the amended GI Bill of Rights attended the University of Guam, and 12 others attended other educational institutions during the year. The Legislature enacted a law authorizing free tuition for veterans attending the University of Guam.
Lump sum payments to veterans amounted to $130,000, and a total of $30,000 was paid to beneficiaries.
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