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No. 1432, P.H., 25TH JULY 1927
lack of adequate supervision over the work of the vaccination staff. The muni-
cipal councils concerned are requested to take early steps to rectify these defects.
5. In G.O. No. 1393, P.H., dated 11th August 1926, the District Health
Officers were made responsible for the supervision of vaccination and the
registration of vital statistics in municipalities in which there are no health
officers. The strength of the inspection staff was also increased during the
year under review by the employment of 32 additional health inspectors. The
Director of Public Health reports that a further increase in the strength of the
Health Inspectors' staff is necessary. As regards vaccinators the number of first-
class men employed by local bodies fell from 202 to 195. The number of second-
class vaccinators increased from 397 to 432, while that of probationary vacci-
nators continued to decrease. The Director of Public Health reports that
although trained men are now available, the full complement of vaccinators is
maintained only in very few districts and that one of the reasons for this is the
failure on the part of local boards to offer scales of pay sufficiently attractive to
induce suitable applicants to accept Local Fund employment. The Government
have recommended suitable scales of pay for adoption by local bodies and as the
payment of salary to unqualified men who have not been exempted by the
Director of Public Health or whose employment has not been sanctioned by the
Government has been declared to be illegal and surchargeable, it is hoped that
qualified men will be employed by local bodies in increased numbers on suitable
rates of pay.
6. The Government are pleased to learn that the health staffs continued to
do good work in detecting cases of unprotected and unregistered children. As
many as 15,000 cases of unprotected children were detected in the North Arcot
and Coimbatore districts, 12,000 cases in South Arcot and Malabar and 11,000 in
Nellore. The maintenance of vaccination registers continued to be unsatisfac-
tory in many unions. The Government note with regret the instances mentioned
by the Director of Public Health in paragraph 5 of his report and they trust that
presidents of the boards concerned will realize the obligation imposed upon them
by the statute and take effective steps for the improvement of vaccination in the
areas under their control.
7. In G.O. No. 1415, P.H., dated 13th August 1926, the Government
emphasized the need for closer co-operation between Presidents of Local Boards
and District Health Officers in the administration of vaccination and disciplinary
control over vaccinators. The Director of Public Health points out that local
boards have made little or no effort to follow this advice and that on the other
hand the recommendations made by the Health Officers have often been ignored.
The attention of the local boards concerned is invited to the instances quoted by
the Director of Public Health in paragraph 7 of his report and the Government
trust that they will in future work in closer touch with the Health Department
and will give every consideration to the recommendations made by the District
Health Officers in all matters relating to vaccination as directed in G.O. No. 389,
P.H., dated 4th March 1926. In the interests of discipline and efficient work
Presidents of Local Boards are also requested to consult the District Health Officer
in all matters regarding the leave, transfers, appointment and punishment of
vaccinators. The example of the Presidents of the Taluk Boards of Puttur
and Berhampur in having delegated to their District Health Officers their power
to sanction the prosecution of defaulters is commended to the Presidents of all
Local Boards for adoption.
8. The Director of Public Health has again emphasized in his present report
the desirability of transferring the administration of vaccination in rural areas from
the taluk boards to the district boards. This suggestion will be considered when
the amendment of the Local Boards Act is undertaken. In regard to the proposal
that the Registration of Births and Deaths Act III of 1899 should be extended
throughout the Presidency all Collectors have been requested in G.O. No. 2022,
P.H., dated 11th November 1926, to submit proposals for the extension of the