2
Vaccination work and circles.
3. The average number of persons vaccinated by the members of the
regular staff was 1,824 ; the highest district average was
2,531, (Sambalpur), and the lowest was 1,286 (Betul).
As to the returns for Sambalpur it seems that in the khalsa five men performed
19,492 operations, and you remark that " the Civil Surgeon apparently thinks
the figures genuine." On the other hand, one of the best vaccinators in Betul
was ill for two months of the season, another was a new hand, and a third had
to be dismissed. The average number of operations performed by vaccinators
is also low in Nimar, Raipur and Bilaspur. As to Raipur you remark on the
practice there of doing vaccination work in part only of the district each year.
One point in favour of this procedure is that the supervision must be much more
effective. Indeed it seems to the Chief Commissioner a somewhat doubtful
policy to expect each vaccinator to visit an area so large that, on the returns
now under review, only half of it can be inspected each year. Still the Chief
Commissioner observes that in some districts there was comparatively much
more inspection work done by Superintendents than in others. In Damoh and
Seoni the Superintendents saw a very large proportion of the persons vaccinated,
and in Nimar, Mandla, Balaghat, Narsinghpur, Wardha and Bilaspur, they saw
more than half the vaccinators' work. In Raipur the Superintendent saw less
than half the children operated on : but at the same time he saw more such
children than any other Superintendent. You point out the difference there is
in the extent and population of vaccination circles ; and probably you may be
able to re-arrange the circles and re-distribute the men so as to allow a fairer
comparison between the work of different Superintendents, and also different
Civil Surgeons.
District details.
4. The Chief Commissioner has read your report of the vaccination work
in each district with interest. With regard to the work
done by Hospital Assistants he notes that those attached
to the Sehora, Murwara, and Bijeragogarh dispensaries
did all the vaccination in their circles, the Civil Surgeon of Jubbulpore stating
that during the spring they can leave their proper work three days a week for
this purpose. The Chief Commissioner, however, concurs in your opinion that, if
the dispensaries are closed on these days the practice is objectionable, but pro-
bably this will not be found to be the case. At Narsinghpur again the Civil
Surgeon found it necessary to order the Hospital Assistants to attend to their
dispensary work only. Mr. Morris is of opinion that the proper course is between
these extremes, and that Hospital Assistants might do much vaccination work
in seasons when there are few hospital patients. The total out-turn of work has
considerably increased over that of last year in all districts except Hoshangabad,
Mandla, and all the districts in the Nagpur Division, except Balaghat, which shows
a slight increase. In Hoshangabad the decline is satisfactorily accounted for by
the weakness of the staff. In Mandla, however, you are of opinion that the
work was not what it should have been, particularly as more had been done in
previous year, when the Superintendent and four vaccinators had Census duties in
addition to their own. Various reasons are shown for the decline in the Nagpur
districts. The average vaccinations performed were in Nagpur and Bhandara
slightly under, and in Chanda and Wardha slightly over, the average for the
Province. The inspection work again in this Division appears from the table in
your paragraph 26 to have been in each district under the average. You for-
ward explanations of decrease of work in these districts and of noticeable
features in the returns for others; and the Chief Commissioner is satisfied that
with more experience of the Province you will be able to set right or fully explain
whatever is seemingly amiss.
Feudatory States.
5. In the Feudatory States of Sarangarh, Padampur, Chandarpur, Patna,
Nandgaon, Dongargarh, Khairagarh and others, the
returns of vaccination show very well. You note, how-
ever, that the Hospital Assistant at Kawardha totally neglected his duties : for
this he was lately suspended by order of the Chief Commissioner. The custom
you bring to notice of letting out the right to inoculate in Sonpur and other
States is decidedly objectionable, and a report will be called for from the Deputy
Commissioner on the subject.