5
The cost of the Depôt during the past three years is shown in the accompanying
table :—
—
1
Establishment ...
... ...
Purchase of calves ... ...
Purchase of vaccine tubes ... ...
Miscellaneous ... ... ...
Total ... ... ...
1911-12.
2
Rs.
4,461
7,504
8,788
2,714
23,468
a.
7
0
3
7
1
p.
6
0
0
5
11
1912-13.
3
Rs.
4,191
8,568
7,535
2,649
22,944
a.
11
0
8
3
7
p.
7
0
0
9
4
1913-14.
4
Rs.
4,777
8,029
5,617
2,554
20,977
a.
4
0
4
4
12
p.
8
0
0
3
11
Major H. Innes, I.M.S., was in charge of the Depôt throughout the triennium
except a short period from the 18th February 1914 to the 31st March 1914, during
which period Major L. B. Scott, I.M.S., held charge. The subordinate charge of the
depôt was held throughout the triennium by Sub-Assistant Surgeon Rai Sahib Kamal
Charan Datta. This depôt still continues to supply lymph to the Eastern Bengal
districts. The quality of the lymph is generally reported to be excellent.
Cost of the department.
13. The total cost of the department for the year 1913-14 was Rs 64,426-4-4, as
against Rs. 66,342-10-8 in 1912-13 and Rs. 64,501-6-1 in
1911-12. Of the total expenditure of Rs. 64,426-4-4 during
the year 1913-14, Rs. 43,202-14-5 were paid from provincial revenues, Rs. 19,273-15-1
from local funds, Rs. 1,089-13-10 from municipal funds and Rs. 859-9-0 were
contributed by the Manipur State. The average cost of each successful vaccination
was Re. 0-3-4 in 1913-14 as compared with Re. 0-3-6 in 1912-13 and Re 0-3-8 in
1911-12.
General.
14. The total number of vaccination operations performed on tea estates was
11,662 in 1913-14, as against 12,504 in 1912-13 and
13,525 in 1911-12. In 1913-14, 847 operations were
reported to have been performed in jails and lunatic asylums and 88 on the
line of Eastern Bengal State Railway in the district of Kamrup.
The Deputy Sanitary Commissioner reports (I) that in the course of his inspection
of rural vaccination work, numerous cases of falsification of returns by vaccinators
have come to his notice. It appears to be a general practice throughout the Assam
Valley Districts, for vaccinators to enter the number of insertions made by them in the
column showing the number of points successful and they do not appear to make any
effort to verify the result of their operations, with the result that nearly all their work
shows 100 per cent. of successes. The only check on these returns is the verification
performed by the inspecting staff, who cannot, however, inspect the entire work of
the vaccinators. The percentage of successful results reported is therefore higher than
is in truth correct. The Deputy Sanitary Commissioner, out of 3,122 operations and
entries verified, found a percentage insertion success of 95.57.
The remedy for this falsification of returns is to insist on the inspecting staff
reporting to the Civil Surgeon all vaccinators who show successful returns against
cases of failure, and to dismiss those who deliberately fudge their returns.
(II) That the order by which vaccinators should leave Form I—the village register
of vaccination—with the gaonbura on completion, is rarely observed, and this gives rise
difficulty in inspecting vaccination when the vaccinator is working elsewhere. Civil
Surgeons should see that this order is carried out.
He suggests that it is a question whether the system of employing licensed
vaccinators is suitable for Assam, and that it is probable that better results would be
obtained were only paid vaccinators employed.
He has observed that when licensed vaccinators and paid vaccinators are working
in the same district, as in Kamrup, the temptation to the paid vaccinator to extort
payment to which, unlike the licensed vaccinator, he is not entitled, is considerable.
The result of the dual system is that in some cases the people refuse to pay the licensed
vaccinator the fees to which he is entitled, while in other cases, the paid vaccinator
extorts fees to which he has no claim.