Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the Home (Medical and Sanitary)
Department,—No. 398, dated 1st August 1887.
READ—
The Report on Vaccination in the Punjab for the official year 1886-87, by Surgeon-Major
A. Stephen, Sanitary Commissioner, Punjab.
REMARKS.—This Report was received by Government on the 15th of
June 1887, the date on which it was due.
2. Prior to the commencement of the official year 1886-87, the Sanitary
and Vaccination Department in the Punjab was presided over by a staff
consisting of one Sanitary Commissioner, two Deputy Sanitary Commissioners
and one Native Deputy Superintendent of Vaccination, the Province being
divided for the purposes of the Department into two circles, viz., the Eastern
and Western, with a Deputy Sanitary Commissioner in charge of each. On
the 1st of April 1886, in view to meeting the financial pressure, the system
of circles was abolished and one Deputy Sanitary Commissioner with his
office establishment and also the Native Deputy Superintendent of Vaccina¬
'tion came under reduction. The saving thus effected amounted to over
Rs. 10,000 per annum; Dr. O'Neill was appointed Deputy Sanitary Commis-
sioner for the Province. He went on furlough in April 1886, and Dr. Doyle,
the Deputy Sanitary Commissioner who had come under reduction, was ap-
pointed to officiate for him. Dr. Doyle was, however, shortly after called
away to temporary military duty in consequence of the paucity of medical
officers; but was re-appointed Officiating Deputy Sanitary Commissioner in
February 1887. During his absence on military duty, Pandit Bálkishen, the
Native Deputy Superintendent of Vaccination who had come under reduc-
tion, was re-entertained and employed in the Vaccination Department.
3. The strength of the Vaccination Establishment during the year was
34 Native Supervisors and 289 Vaccinators, being one Supervisor and ten Vac-
cinates more than last year.
4. The expenditure, which was Rs. 69,650 for the District, Special and
Cantonment Staff, decreased by Rs. 14,388. This decrease in expenditure
was almost wholly brought about by the abolition of the Deputy Sanitary
Commissioner, Western Circle, and of the Native Deputy Superintendent of
Vaccination, and also by the absence of the Officiating Deputy Sanitary Com-
missioner on military duty for four months. There was also a decrease of
Rs. 106 in the cost of the Cantonment Staff, this being due to less expenditure
on establishments in the Siálkot and Míán Mír Cantonments. There was
an increase of expenditure of Rs. 543 in the District Staff owing to the em-
ployment of more Vaccinators and increased charges under travelling allow-
ance and contingencies.
The cost per successful case of vaccination was Re.0-1-11 as compared
With Re. 0-2-4 in 1885-86.
5. The number of vaccination operations performed in the Province
during the year was 627,313, or 14,847 more than in the year before. This increase
is not, however, so great as was the increase in 1885-86, viz., 28,968. The
increase in 1886-87 was principally in the work done by the District Staff. The
work done by the Special Staff and by the Dispensary Department has fallen off
by 6,792 operations. Of the total number vaccinated, 341,591 were males
and 285,326 females, the difference between the total of these figures and
the total number vaccinated being accounted for by the fact that 396 cases
were not classed according to sexes.
The percentage of successful primary vaccinations was 95.11. The in-
crease of re-vaccinations is marked this year, being more than double the
increase of last year, as the following figures show :—
1884-85 ... ... ...
1885-86 ... ... ...
1886-87 ... ... ...
15,787
18,099
24,769