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Training of local men in the Punjab Veterinary
College.
35. Two candidates deputed from the Kurram Agency and Dera Ismail
Khan District came out successful in
the last final examination of the Punjab
Veterinary College and there being no
vacancy in the Province, consequently neither of them could be appointed, but
their names have, however, been registered for any vacancy occurring in the
near future. A candidate deputed from Hazara District is still studying in the
above college.
Work of subordinate veterinary establishment.
36. The two Veterinary Inspectors have done good work, but the circle
under the Veterinary Inspector, Bannu
Division, is very scattered, viz. Bannu,
Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Kurram Agency and Tochi Agency; consequently a
lot of his time is wasted in doing long journey, where he should be going from
village to village and paying more attention to the supervision of the Veterinary
Assistant's work.
During the year under report one Veterinary Assistant resigned and two
were discharged.
PART V.—EXPENDITURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
37. The expenditure of the Department is given in Table XIV-A.
The figures are, as usual, supplied by the Accountant-General. Rs. 65,706 were
spent, against Rs. 55,045 in the previous year. The increase appears chiefly due
to the expenditure connected with the subordinate staff.
GENERAL REMARKS.
The work of the Department was satisfactory during the year. It is
undoubtedly appreciated by the public and specially by the agricultural
community, and every effort is made by all concerned to get in touch with the
people and gain their confidence.
The reported increase in contagious diseases is under foot-and-mouth
disease. The increase is more nominal than real, and it may be ascribed to a
little better reporting by Patwaris who are becoming accustomed to the system
introduced in 1908, but still there were 30 complaints against Patwaris for
reporting contagious disease late or not at all.
The average daily attendance at each hospital works out at 27.03.
These figures would certainly increase very considerably if many of the hospitals
had not to be closed during the temporary absence of the Veterinary Assistant
to attend outbreaks of contagious diseases.
The compounders, although they are very useful in emergencies where
they are present, cannot carry on the full work of a hospital nor keep the
ordinary work going for long. The work of the larger hospitals has now
reached an amount which one man can only, with difficulty, cope with, without
having any time to spare to attend outbreaks.
It appears that the time has come, or will soon come, when it will be
necessary to ensure efficiency, to provide two men in each tahsil or at least at
the Saddar hospitals,—one to remain at the hospital and the other to tour
and attend outbreaks and give occasional assistance at the hospital.
The addition of a Veterinary Assistant for Kurram Agency is under con-
templation, and it is hoped that it will be sanctioned very soon.
Contagious diseases are very frequently imported into the British
territory from the Kashmir and Afghanistan side; it would therefore be highly
advantageous if, like Kohala, in the Punjab, inspection posts were established at
Garhi Habibullah, district Hazara, and Jamrud, district Peshawar, to detain
cases of contagious disease. If the Veterinary Assistant in charge had powers to
stop not only Glanders but also other virulent contagious diseases as rinderpest,
the posts would be even more useful.