4
Dr. A. Thirumalaiah.—Nellore, Guntūr, Tenali, Chirala, Ongole, Mannargndi, Nega¬
patam, Tiruvālūr, Ellore and Vizagapatam municipalities, and Nellore, Guntūr, Tanjore and
West Gōdāvari districts.
Dr. R. Adiseshan.—Madura District and the municipalities therein, Nilgiris, Coimbatore,
Salem, Trichinopoly, Chittoor and Ganjām districts.
Dr. B. Ethirajulu.—Chittoor, Udamalpet, Negapatam, Trichinopoly, Tuticorin,
Srīrangam, Masulipatam and Mayavaram municipalities and West and East Gōdāvari,
Cuddapah, Bellary, North and South Arcot and Tinnevelly districts.
13. The subordinate vaccination staff employed in the Presidency during
the triennium ending 1925-26 and 1928-29 is shown in abstract in the subjoined
statement:—
Triennium ending
1925-26
...
...
...
1928-29
...
...
...
Year
1923-24
...
...
...
1924-25
...
...
...
1925-26
...
...
...
1926-27
...
...
...
1927-28
...
...
...
1928-29
...
...
...
Health
Inspectors
(pro¬
vincial).
229
229
229
261
265*
283
Vaccinators.
First class.
157
155
202
195
208
187
Second
class.
405
423
397
432
459
502
Proba
tionary.
170
152
146
128
100
84
Total.
732
730
745
755
767
773
* Exclusive of a Plague Inspector in the Nilgiris who performed the additional duties of a Health Inspector.
Consequent on the bifurcation of some of the ranges the number of Health
Inspectors was increased by 18 in 1928-29.
The decrease of 21 in the staff of first-class vaccinators is to be regretted.
In view of the fact that the services of the vaccinators of this grade, a large
proportion of whom possess Sanitary Inspectors' qualifications, have to be requi
sitioned for preventive work during epidemics, the advantages of the gradual
replacement of second-class vaccinators by qualified Sanitary Inspectors with
vaccination training and the stoppage of recruitment of vaccinators of the former
class should be emphasized on all local bodies. Several District Health Officers
have been persistently urging on the desirability of having at least one first-class
vaccinator in each Health Inspector's range, and, it is hoped that, as a begin
ning, the local boards concerned will accept the proposals at an early date.
More than 10 per cent of the vaccination staff comes under the anomalous
category of " Probationary vaccinators." The pay prescribed by the local boards
for this class of vaccinators is, in most cases, a miserable pittance and the majority
of the men are discontented having no chance of advancement. The sooner this
class of vaccinators is abolished, the better it will be in the interests of efficiency
of the department.
14. Reports are still received from time to time regarding the inadequacy
and inefficiency of vaccination staffs in several local boards and municipalities.
The pay offered in these instances is too low to attract the right type of men.
The inequalities in the salaries of vaccinators prescribed in the different Taluk
Boards of the same district cause serious discontent among the staffs and. detract
their efficiency. The proposals made by the District Health Officers for the
removal of such causes should receive the attention of the local bodies concerned.
In at least one instance, viz., Malabar, the employment of a female vaccinator
for vaccination in the Gosha community has been found to be useful. It would
be worth while if the other local boards consider whether the employment of
female vaccinators will be of advantage.