TRIENNIAL REPORT ON VACCINATION
IN THE
CENTRAL PROVINCES AND BERAR
FOR THE YEARS 1914-15, 1915-16 & 1916-17.
Area and population.
The area served by the Vaccination Department and the population remained
the same as in the previous triennium, viz., 99,823 square
miles with 13,916,308 souls.
Establishment.
2. The establishment was augmented by 3 Assistant Superintendents
of Vaccination and 9 vaccinators. The Assistant Superin-
tendents were posted to Akola, Buldana and Drug
districts, which were too large for proper supervision by one Assistant Superin-
tendent of Vaccination. As regards vaccinators, 3 men were entertained at the
Central Vaccine Depôt, Nagpur, 3 in Akola district, 2 each in Nagpur and
Raipur districts, and 1 in Drug, while Betul and Balaghat reduced their staff
by 1 each. The establishment during the triennium, therefore, stood at 36
Assistant Superintendents of Vaccination and 307 vaccinators as compared
with 33 and 298 respectively in the previous triennium, but owing to want of
suitable men to fill vacancies among vaccinators, especially in Berar, only 304
men were borne on the rolls at the close of the triennium.
3. The scheme for improving the pay and prospects of the staff came
into force on 1st October 1914. The men in the Central Provinces seem
happy and contented, but in Berar the pay does not seem to be attractive, and
I fear that sooner or later it will have to be supplemented by suitable allowances.
Total vaccination operations
performed in the triennium.
STATEMENT I.
4. The following table illustrates the progress of
vaccination during the past two triennial periods :—
Establishment.
By Vaccinators
...
By
Sub-Assistant
Surgeons attached to
Dispensaries.
By other agencies ...
Total ...
Triennial period ending 1913-14.
1911-12.
579,782
2,115
1,204
583,101
1912-13
570,778
823
2,909
574,510
1913-14
617,985
4,031
360
622,376
Total.
1,768,545
6,969
4,473
1,779,987
Triennial period ending 1916-17.
1914-15.
599,981
...
2,662
602,643
1915-16.
598,983
...
976
599,959
1916-17.
550,927
...
1,223
552,150
Total.
1,749,891
...
4,861
1,754,752
Difference.
—18,654
—6,969
+ 388
—25,235
As compared with the triennial period ending 1913-14, the total number
of operations fell by 25,235 for reasons explained in paragraph 5.
Vaccinations performed by
the special staff.
5. The total number of operations performed by vaccinators during the
triennium was 1,749,891, of which 1,528,060 were primary
and 221,831 revaccinations, the figures for the preced-
ing period being 1,534,901 and 233,644 respectively. Primary vaccinations
fell by 6,841, which the Civil Surgeons ascribe to the prevalence of plague and
cholera, and also to the low birth-rate in consequence of the prevalence of
malarial fevers during the past two years, as explained in paragraph 4 of the Sani-
tary Report for 1916. The decrease in revaccinations (—11,813) is said to be
due to the discontinuance, in accordance with the instructions of my predecessor,
Colonel Dennys, C.I E., I.M.S., of the practice of revaccinating mothers every
time they bring a child for vaccination ; but it seems to me that absence of
small-pox epidemics and the existing class of Civil Surgeon, who fails to take
sufficient interest in this branch of his work, account for the very large falling
off. Vaccinators, as a rule, do not spend sufficient time in villages advising on
the benefits of revaccination and other sanitary measures which they should
endeavour to make popular : they simply try to bring up their number of operations