R. G. Ferguson
Canadian physician (1883–1964) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Robert George Ferguson, OBE, (12 September 1883 – 1964) was a pioneer in North America's fight against tuberculosis who worked for the introduction of free medical treatment.[1][2]
Quick Facts Dr. R.G. Ferguson, Born ...
Dr. R.G. Ferguson | |
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Born | (1883-09-12)12 September 1883 |
Died | 1964 (aged 80–81) |
Alma mater | Wesley College, Manitoba Medical College |
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As Medical Director, and later as General Superintendent of the Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis League Canada, he achieved many firsts for the province, including:
- 1921, provincial survey of school children: 54% of non-Indigenous children and 92.5% of Indigenous children had positive reactions to tuberculin tests indicating infection or exposure[3]
- 1929, First province in Canada to provide free treatment of tuberculosis.[4]
- First province to initiate a vaccination program for its sanatorium personnel (student nurses, 1938) and the First Nations population (infants, 1930).[5][3]
- 1941–1947, First province to conduct province-wide tuberculosis surveys[5][6]
Furthermore, Ferguson was a pioneer in long-term BCG vaccine research, quite controversial at the time.[3][7][8]