2
RESOLUTION ON THE TRIENNIAL REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEARS 1908-09 TO 1910-11.
this or other reasons were removed from their appointments is not strikingly high.
Still the fact remains that the work of the vaccinators has not been at all satisfactory.
The average number of operations performed annually by each man fell from 1,721 in
the previous triennium to 1,472. The pay of these men ranges from Rs. 20 to
Rs. 30 a month, and the Sanitary Commissioner states that he is addressing
Government on the subject of improving their prospects. The Lieutenant-Gover-
nor will be glad to consider any suggestions for the improved working of the
Department; he considers, however, that the fault does not lie entirely with the
vaccinators, but is very largely due to lack of trustworthy and efficient supervision.
Their immediate supervising officers are the native superintendents, on pay varying
from Rs. 25 to Rs. 60 a month, whose number has been trebled in the last six
years. Sir Harvey Adamson is inclined to share the doubts of the Sanitary Com-
missioner as to whether this increase has been justified by results. The work of
the vaccinators needs careful supervision, but it is doubtful whether native
superintendents on this pay can be trusted to supervise them adequately.
The other supervising officers are the Civil Surgeons. It is admitted
on all sides that these officers have not the time to superintend this part
of their work effectively. A Civil Surgeon, who has a large hospital at head-
quarters and several smaller hospitals at outstations, who is Vice-President of a
Municipality, Superintendent of a Jail, and Sanitary Officer for the whole district,
and who has probably in addition a certain amount of practice among the
Europeans in his station which he cannot leave for long to his subordinates,
cannot possibly find the time to tour his district and to inspect the work of the
vaccinators thoroughly. That this difficulty is increasing is shown by the fact that
Civil Surgeons only inspected 11 per cent. of the total number of primary
vaccinations during the triennium, as compared with 16 per cent. in the previous
period. All Civil Surgeons, however, have not so many claims upon their time
that they cannot tour more frequently than they now do, and the Lieutenant-
Governor hopes to see an improvement in this respect in future years.
3. The Sanitary Commissioner considers that the remedy lies in relieving
the Civil Surgeons of much of their work at headquarters by giving them
capable Assistant Surgeons, and so allowing them more time for touring. He
also recommends the appointment of additional Deputy Sanitary Commissioners,
who would devote their whole time to touring and inspecting vaccination and
sanitary works. The Lieutenant-Governor is prepared to consider proposals
to this effect. At the same time His Honour thinks that more might be
done under present conditions both by Civil Surgeons and by other district
officials to further the objects of the Vaccination Department, and to overcome
the distrust of vaccination which is at present so common among the Burmans.
The Lieutenant-Governor wishes to impress most strongly on all district officials
the necessity of doing all in their power in this direction ; much good might
result if civil officers would occasionally take vaccinators on tour with them,
would make a point of inspecting the Headmen's Vaccination Registers, and
would endeavour to enlist the assistance of headmen and elders of villages by
explaining to them clearly the advantages of vaccination over inoculation.