Subject: [History] Health Care
Article:


In 1688, city hall, hospital and church were housed in one building. In 1693-1695 plans were made to build a hospital which became then 's Lands Gasthuis'Paramaribo.

An interesting look at the menu for the sick: Sunday- meat soup with barley or rice, vegetables of the season, slice bread, banana.

Monday- soup of tayer or bananas, salted or smoked pork, slice bread, banana.

Tuesday- soup of napies, salted meat or pork, slice bread, banana.

Wednesday- soup of fresh pork with barley or rice, vegetables of the season, slice bread, bananas.

Thursday- salted meat, cake, slice bread, banana.

Friday- salted or smoked pork with beans or cabage, slice bread, banana.

Saturday- boiled salted fish (bakkeljauw) with butter/vinegar sauce, slice bread and a pancake.

The menu for the hospital personnel was as follows: Morning and evening- sandwich with coffee lunch: daily- fresh meat 1/2 lb or salted meat 1/2 lb or pork 1/4 lb bread 5 lbs per week and butter 1 lb per week.

The large number of stationed military personnel made it necessary to build a 'military hospital'. A start was made in 1758 and the hospital was completed in 1760. The civilian hospital burnt down to the ground in 1821. Thus the military hospital became also a civilian hospital. The military hospital (Lands Hospital) was expanded and renovated in 1849. The brown heart floor beams from 1760 were still in excellent condition and were re-used.

A college of medical examiners was founded in 1781 to verify, register etc diplomas of doctors, surgeons, pharmacists and midwives. Small pox re-appeared in 1800 in Suriname. Small pox vaccination was unknown at that time or available in Suriname. Dr. Walther Cadell began with a small pox vaccination program in 1801. Due to prejudices against vaccinations the small pox vaccination drive was not a success. In 1805, a new drive was conducted by Dr Wolfing with a small group of children but this drive failed too. In 1812, a British merchant Carstairs brought smallpox vaccine to Suriname. His family was vaccinated as well as the GovGen Bonham. The college of medical examiners played since then also a more active role in the prevention of small pox.






Met dank aan Albert Buys