Coll 30/22 'Persian Gulf, Bahrein. Bahrein State Budget; Economy Proposals; Grant of Tariff Autonomy; Increase in Customs Duties; Developments in Bahrein' [‎58r] (115/883)

P.T.0.
The chief expenditure on special new works during the
year was on tne Manamah-MuharraQ bridge and the government
hospital. The bridge was expected to have been finished
during the year but owing to the war it is not yet complete.
The entire superstructure and machinery for opening the
bridge was ready for shipment from England many months before
the end of the year but owing to transport difficulties it
failed to arrive.
Three piers and the reinforced concrete dolphin were
completed and much of the reinfor#eced concrete extension
was built. The piles and about 30% of the deck of the dolphin
were finished during the year.
It is estimated that it will take about five months
from the date of arrival of the material to complete the
whole work. Local labour was .used in the construction work
under the supervision of British foremen. Arab divers were s
specially useful in fixing the central subrnarine.cassion.
The women’s hospital was completed and opened on
May 25, 1940 (Rabi althany 18, 1359) and the men's hospital
was brought into use some months later. The ground* floor
walls of the administrative building were built and the
hospital, kitchen, male nurses’ quarters, walls, gates and #
mess room were completed during the year. The administrative
building will contain two operating theatres, X-Ray rooms, at
stores, laboratory and offices. The two hospitals have a
combined capacity of 100 beds but in case of emergency a
considerably larger number of patients could be accommodated#
The expenditure during the year on the women’s hospital was
Rs 15,600/- find on the^ men’s hospital Rs 49,000/-. The
expenditure on the administrative building, staff quarters,
kitchens etc. was Ks 32,800/-. The total cost of the men’a
hospital including electrict. water and sanitary installationa
amounted to approximately Rs 1,32.000/-. The nurses’ quarters
and the Lady Ifedical Officer’s flat and Matron’s flat cost
approximately Rs 86,000/-.
Approximately Rsl6,500/- was spent on the Manamah
Fort. All the outer walls and tne four corner/^wards
have now been rebuilt. The north east tower contains a
large office on the first floor and a store on the g-ound
flaor, this and the eastern will and the north eastern tower
were built during the year. Additional latrines were made
and the inside garden was fenced.
Work was commenced, but not completed, on the new
Technical School workshop. The building, which is
120’ x 40’ is adjacent to the existing Technical School
and its dimensions are according to tne recommendations of
Mr. GrJ£. Hutchings, Principal of the Baghdad Technical
School, who visited Bahrain in order to advise the
Government on technical education. The roof is carried on
reinforced concrete beams supported by reinforced concrete
pillars. Owing to the price of steel beams and the
difficulty of obtaining them this method of construction ms
adopted for the first time in Bahrain# The old building
to ether with the new workshop will provide accommodation for
about 100 boys. The amount spent on this building was
Rs jl3, 000/-.
Some improvements were made to the customs premises
during the year including an office at the entrance to the
pier and trolley lines and lighting on the pier extension.
The cost of this was approximately Rs 10,000/-.