4
NOTES AND STATISTICS ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1921-22.
Relatively poor work was performed by the two supervisors employed in Henzada
district; their circles of supervision were limited to a subdivision only, but they
only verified between them 42.07 per cent. of primary operations and 9.17 per cent.
of re-vaccination cases.
13. Vaccine Depôts, Meiktila and Rangoon.—The total number of calves
inoculated in the Meiktila Depôt during the year was 305 as compared with 376
in 1920-21. Of this number, 25 calves either failed to re-act or yielded lymph
of poor quality which was rejected. Ten other calves were rejected as they
developed foot and mouth disease. The average yield per successfully inoculated
calf was 26.35 grammes as compared with 28.1 in 1920-21.
The issue of lymph to Superintendents of Vaccination and others totalled
899,460 doses against 951,108 in the previous year. Out of 375,955 primary
vaccinations, of which the results were reported to the Depôt 98.20 per cent.
were returned as successful against 97.62 in 1920-21.
The Director has again called attention to the great wastage of lymph
supplied to various officers in the districts. The places where a great wastage
occurred were Sandoway, 44.40 per cent., Prome 35.93 per cent., Bassein 38.21
per cent., Maymyo 45.13 per cent., Upper Chindwin 53.16 per cent. and
Kutkai, in Northern Shan States, 57.43 per cent. The attention of the respon-
sible officers in these places has been drawn to this wastage and they have been
asked to pay attention to the matter and to indent for no more than the actual
quantity required.
The total cost of the Depôt during the year was Rs. 31,436-6-11 as against
Rs. 22,238-0-11 in the previous year. A sum of Rs. 2,799-5-11 which was
realised from the sale of calves was refunded to the Treasury ; the nett expen-
diture therefore amounted to Rs. 28,637-1-0 or an increase of Rs. 10,317-3-5 on
that of the previous year. The large increase was due to the revision of pay and
allowances of the staff employed in the Depôt, which was sanctioned with effect
from the 1st March 1920, including arrears. In addition a larger number of
apprentice vaccinators on an enhanced rate of stipend was trained in the Depôt
than in the last year. The cost of manufacture of each dose of lymph was 5.85
pies as against 3.70 pies in the previous year.
14. Training Class.—Five Supervisors of vaccination and 71 Apprentice
Vaccinators were trained during the year. One Supervisor was still under training
at the close of the year.
In the Rangoon Depôt 29,336 grains of pulp were obtained from 62
inoculated calves, or an average yield of 468.32 grains per calf. The percentage
of primary cases returned as successful was 99.73.
15. Cost of the Vaccination Department.— The total cost of the Vaccina-
tion Department during the year was Rs. 3,16,417-10-2 against Rs. 2,58,101-6-7
last year or an increase of Rs. 58,316-3-7. The increase was chiefly due to the
raising of pay of the vaccinators, in all the districts except Northern and Southern
Shan States, from Rs. 20—1—30 to Rs. 30—1—50 with effect from the 1st
March 1920, whereon all of them drew arrears of pay during the year under report.
Consequent on the rise in their pay the travelling allowance drawn by the district
vaccinators also automatically increased. The average cost of each successful
case of vaccination was Re. 0-9-7 as against Re. 0-7-9 in the last year. The
district of Lower Chindwin returned the lowest cost per case of successful
vaccination (Re. 0-3-6). Next comes Kyaukpyu with Re. 0-4-5, Akyab Re.
0-4-8; Sagaing Re. 0-5-3; Tharrawaddy Re. 0-6-1 ; Kyauksè Re. 0-6-5; and
Ma-ubin Re. 0-6-8. The districts from which the highest cost per successful
case was returned were Hill District of Arakan Rs. 2-0-10 and Mergui Rs. 1-0-7.
The cost per case in other districts ranged from Re. 0-7-0 in Minbu to Re. 0-14-2
in Insein.
16. General Remarks.—Captain Aung Tun, B.A., M.B., Ch.B., was in
charge of the Vaccine Depôt, Meiktila, throughout the year. Assistant Director
S. Muthuswamy lyer relinquished charge of his duties on the 19th June 1921 on
transfer to the Medical Department and Sub-Assistant Surgeon Man Singh
assumed charge as Assistant Director from that date. These officers all carried
out their duties efficiently and the successful results obtained are to their credit.
C. E. WILLIAMS, LIEUT.-COL., I.M.S.,
M.D., D.P.H., D.T.M.,
Superintendent-General of Vaccination, Burma.
RANGOON,
29th May 1922.