B.C. LUMBER WORKER z

ud safely into the unknown.”

i there is a tendency for one to
emotions of apprehension, con-
d appreciation, based on the
experiences and the promises

awith an optimistic attitude that
Jed way and that hopes and ambi-
i an urgent need for guide posts
gfor some tangible handhole with

to be revealed it is known with
Province are going to suffer

"j than 200, that will permanently
and that the injuries of over
fm Working, that another 50,000
ention and other hundreds of

§| 315 new cases were referred to

:
:

December 15th, in Vancouver.

TO HELP INJURED WORKMEN

B.C. LABOR MINISTER, Hon. Lyle Wicks, officially opening the new one million. dollar Workmen’s Compensation Bo:

ficers of the Board who work in
close co-operation with the doc-
tor. The more seriously injured
workmen are visited while still
in hospital and contact is con-
tinued during convalescence.

It is the rehabilitation officer's
job to counsel, guide and assist
the replacement of workmen in
industry. Where more serious
permanent disability has resulted

the vocational rehabilitation de-
partment for assistance and dur-
ing that time 288 were success-
fully rehabilitated.

Officials of the Board wh@ de-
scribed the work of this branch
stated that the advantages of the
new centre could be enumerated
as follows:

‘A new, spacious building pro-
vides a better environment for
both patients and staff. a

Improved facilities for treat-
ment, including a therapeutic
pool.

A greatly enlarged occupation-

‘which precludes the workman’s

return to his former or allied oc-
cupation, the rehabilitation of-
ficer may arrange retraining in
some other vocation.

In 1954, 115 permanently dis-

abled workmen reecived retrain- |)

ing under the auspices of the
Board and there are at all times
some 60 or 70 workmen receiving
specialized training. Last year

a work testing room.

Sufficient space and facilities
to provide a full day’s treatment
when required.

Cafeteria — to serve a hot
lunch to all day patients at a
maximum cost for a full meal of
about sixty cents and this cafe-
teria is operated by the CNIB.

Improved co-ordination of ef-
fort between the medical and
vocational aspects of rehabilita-
tion.

Enlarged x-ray facilities which
now include three x-ray units. In
1954 nearly ten thousand work-

WW BLL OUT FOR SAFETY WEVE MOTING TOFERR,

ties in B.C.

[ae se
men were x-rayed in the Board’s
x-ray department. X-ray services
are not only provided for patients
attending the Centre but also for
all ambulatory patients in Great-
er Vancouver.

Sufficient space and facilities
to treat up to seven hundred pa-
tients a ‘day.

Treatment Record

‘The treatment record to date,
as outlined during the opening
ceremonies at the new centre are
as follows:

Average daily attendance—
450 patients.

Average number of patients

treated per year—3,378.

Average number of treat-
-ments per year—115,168.

additional floor to the North
Wing which would accommodate
seventy-five in-patients. At pre-
sent the patients are scattered
in private hospitals in various
parts of the city where it is im-
possible to treat them adequately.
Such a convalescent hospital has
been in operation by the Ontario
Board for several years and
would certainly be a highly de-
sirable addition to existing facili-

B.C. in Lead

British Columbia leads the
other provinces in many aspects
of its legislation. The growth of

Massage treatment.

Average length of stay—34
days.
Average cost per patient—
$68.19.
Average cost per day’s treat-
ment—$2.00.
Expansion Planned
The present Centre provides
much improved rehabilitation fa-
cilities for injured workmen but
nevertheless cannot be considered
entirely complete. A large gym-
nasium was included in the plans
for our present centre but was
deleted by the Government, sug-
gesting that it could be construct-
ed in about two year’s time. In
addition, the care of workmen
requiring convalescent care could
be much. improved by adding an

> FF

has been phenomenal. In 1945,
9,361 employers with a payroll
of $383,734,401.00 had their em-
ployees covered. In’ 1955 there
are 25,519 employers with a pay-
roll of $1,250,000,000.00. Almost
all of the working force in British
Columbia is covered. To Novem-
ber 30th of this year the Board
has dealt with 76,000 claims of
injured workmen. Last year the
Board collected and disbursed
nearly $20,000,000.00. The amount
held for present pensions and un-
finalled claims is about $75,000,-
000.00.