10
local knowledge they think that the percentage falls short of the Presidency
average of 1919-20. Registration of vital statistics must be made compulsory
and, if local boards are to be responsible for the public health of the area under
their control, should be in close touch with the registered figures. With the
recent increase of pay to village headmen who have hitherto been considered
as honorary revenue officials in the villages, it should be possible to legislate on
more rigid lines and fix a definite responsibility on them in this respect and
subject to legal penalty. At present neither the local boards on whom the
responsibility for public health administration rests nor the superior members of
the Public Health Department have any sort of control over these village
headmen who are also the registrars of vital statistics. The superior District
officers of the Revenue Department under whose control village headmen are
placed are unable to devote any appreciable time in checking the accuracy of
registration in villages. Under the rules in force local bodies are not furnished
with statements of vital statistics registered in their areas and until such
facilities are afforded local boards will be unable to discharge their duties in a
fitting manner with regard to the public health of the areas entrusted to their
care. Village officers can only have one controlling head, namely, the Collector.
But as the Collector or his Deputies have no time to control their village officials
neglect of vital statistics must involve statutory and legal punishment. Failing
this, Government must make up their mind that any statistics are inaccurate and
will continue to be inaccurate.
(b) Steps taken to ensure the better maintenance of birth registers, etc.—
At present these registers are maintained mostly by village headmen who are
under the control of the Revenue Department of Government. Any steps taken
by the local boards to better the condition of registry can only be done by the
formation of vigilance committee in villages. The Dharmapuri Taluk Board has
taken steps in this direction only recently. Each member of the Taluk Board is
authorized to organise village committees in his area with a view to assist accurate
registry of vital statistics. In the case of the Dharmapuri and Hosur Taluk
Boards the members themselves have agreed to give popular health lectures in
villages within their jurisdiction by reading out published pamphlets. The
personal opinion of the President, Taluk Board, Hosur, is that in an area like
Hosur it is too much at this stage to expect local committees to be of any use in
this direction. He however suggests that, in the present state of things, a more
satisfactory course will be to ask Deputy Inspectors of Vaccination (Health
Inspectors) to arrange for popular lectures in villages and thus induce villagers
to realize the benefits of vaccination. The suggestion is no doubt good provided
arrangements are made in advance for a proper congregation of villagers each
time the Deputy Inspector is visiting villages. This again depends on the
personal interest which the President, Taluk Board, and members of Local Boards
take to arrange for such lectures.
There is at present visible apathy for vaccination in villages with the result
that the outturn of a vaccinator in a village in spite of the introduction of door-
to-door vaccination still continues to be poor. Co-operation from village headmen
continues to be rare and most of the villagers continue to look askance at the
benefits of vaccination. The boards in general expect that with the coming of
the new District Health staff from April next, much can be done with their help
and advice. A Health Officer will be able to guide the boards and advocate
timely measures to combat diseases. Further he will be able to give health
lectures in important centres time and again.
(c) Vaccinators employed.—The staff employed under each board is shown
below in detail:—
Hosur Taluk Hoard.
Dharmapuri ...
Salem ... ...
4.
4.
4.
None: are quali-
fied.
Do.
Two are fully
qualified.
Fairly efficient.
Two of the vaccinators are old but quite
efficient, the other two though old are not
efficient.
Two of the vaccinators are old, the one is
efficient, the other not up to the mark.