2
The average number of persons vaccinated by each vaccinator was 1,511,
which is a lower average than that of the preceding two years, when the
figures were 1,644 and 1,718 respectively. The Chief Commissioner thinks it
must be difficult if not impossible to lay down with even approximate accuracy
the number of vaccinations which each operator may be expected to perform, for
density of population, distances, the number of towns, and the degree of educa-
tion and enlightenment among the population have all to be taken into account.
You yourself consider that every vaccinator should with ease accomplish 2,000
operations in a year. This figure does not seem too high, seeing that each
of 5 vaccinators in the Mandla district with an average population of 45 to the
square mile did 2,407 operations. The next best places are taken by the Bala-
ghat and Chanda districts, where population is also sparse ; while the worst figures
are returned from the districts of Nimar, Betul, and Raipur, where the averages
for each vaccinator are respectively 1,300, 1,225 and 552.
6. The districts which show the worst results are Nimar, Seoni, Bilaspur,
Betul, and Raipur. The 4 first named show large decreases in the number of
operations performed, and, as just noticed, Nimar, Betul and Raipur stand at the
foot of the list showing the average number of persons vaccinated by each
vaccinator.
In the Nimar district the bad results are ascribed to several circumstances,—
one, the greater number of marriages with consequent absence of villagers and
their children from their homes ; another, the employment of two vaccinators for
a month and a half on Census duty; a third, the inefficiency of one vaccinator, who
only vaccinated 1,346 persons. In Seoni the poor out-turn of work is ascribed to
employment of the vaccination staff on Census duty. From Bilaspur the expla-
nation is that six vaccinators had to attend to cholera cases, distribute medicines
&c, in addition to their ordinary duties, while two were altogether removed from
their vaccination work and sent to Zamindaris where cholera was epidemic. In
Betul the abandonment of the practice of collecting villagers with their children
at central points accounts in some measure for the decrease in the number of
operations, but Census work also occupied the time of the establishment, and
some of the vaccinators used their employment on Census duties as a cloak for
staying away from their legitimate work. The Civil Surgeon of Raipur reports
that the slight increase of operations, and the low average number of operations
for each vaccinator, are due to the employment of the vaccination staff on Census
duty from the 5th of January to the middle of March.
The Census did undoubtedly absorb the time of many vaccinators, and there
is hardly any department which does not complain of the demands made upon it
by the Census.
7. Compared with the preceding year Civil Surgeons were on tour for a
greater number of days but visited fewer villages and inspected a smaller number
of vaccinated persons. The percentage of successful cases seen by Civil Surgeons
increased from 90.57 in 1879-80 to 93.01 in 1880-81. The Civil Surgeon who
was longest on tour was the Civil Surgeon of Betul. He was on tour for 67 days,
visited 261 villages, and inspected 2,976 vaccinated persons, and certified the
percentage of successful cases to be 92.07.
The lowest percentage of successful cases certified to was in Bilaspur,
where the Civil Surgeon, after being 31 days on tour, visiting 135 villages and
inspecting 2,690 vaccinated persons, returned the percentage of successful cases
at 75.76. The Civil Surgeons of Nagpur and Raipur were not able to go on tour
at all, and in future years the Chief Commissioner hopes that you will arrange
for an Assistant Surgeon going over a certain area and satisfying himself as to
the approximate correctness of the returns made by the subordinate vaccinating
staff. The Civil Surgeon of Balaghat was kept at head-quarters by his duties as
Superintendent of the Jail till the close of the cold weather, when he made a rapid
tour of 7 days, visited 77 villages, and saw 1,428 vaccinated persons, in all of
whom the operation had been successful.
The Chief Commissioner is glad to see that in paragraph 45 of your report you
emphatically recognise the importance of Civil Surgeons themselves checking the
returns of vaccinators. The Chief Commissioner quite agrees in the opinion that