- 66 -Chapter Six On Public Health 44 - Hospitals The scope of hospital work was continuously expanded during the year, and the number of people treated in them increased greatly. The number of people treated in eye hospitals reached 236,000. The new permanent eye hospital in Assiut was operational, and similar hospitals will be opened in 1912 in Mansoura, Beni Suef, and Zagazig. The Mansoura hospital is almost complete. Three more eye hospitals will be opened in Sohag, Shibin El Kom, and Damanhur in 1913. It is intended to establish similar buildings or provide means for treating eye diseases in the governorates of Aswan, Qena, and Qalyubia. Although reform in this regard is not experimental, the scope of eye disease treatment will be expanded to include all children. A system will be established to facilitate first aid for severe eye injuries in villages, so that qualified specialists can be trained for this purpose.

45 - Infant Mortality The recent decrease in infant mortality was not as significant as it should have been due to poor handwriting. Most deaths are among children under four years of age. It is not certain that lack of care and absence of sanitary conditions are the cause of the fevers and severe diarrhea that lead to dire consequences before aid arrives. It is hoped that the following project will be of great benefit. It has begun to be implemented in every village in the country, so that one or two individuals who have some knowledge of health principles are brought to the district hospital or its doctor, where they are observed and trained. Those who do not show the necessary aptitude for the basic work required of hospital assistants are dismissed. After completing this training, they return to their villages under the supervision of the district doctor and prepare simple medicines, including those used for childhood illnesses, divided into doses.