2
Work done by the regular
staff.
6. The number of vaccinations performed by the District Council and
Municipal vaccinators during the triennium was 1,612,814
of which 1,352,954 were primary and 259,860
revaccinations (518,678 primary and 85,782 revaccinations in 1917-18,447,537
and 90,679 in 1918-19 and 386,739 and 83,399 in 1919-20). All districts except
Nagpur, Nimar and Bilaspur, show a decrease, the most marked being Yeotmal,
where the decrease is 22,245. Betul shows a fall of 20,785, Raipur 17,411
and Chanda 15,797. The decrease in Yeotmal is not to be wondered at.
The district has an inadequate staff, and when the Sanitary Commissioner
offered to help the District Board in January 1920 by temporary measures to
tide over their present difficulties, the Board kept the matter in abeyance
for four months before replying. District vaccination cannot be expected to
progress in the face of such apathy. Chanda is a very backward tract
where it is not possible to get the type of man required, and the present pay
does not attract men from outside. The cause of the large falling off in Betul and
Raipur districts is not quite apparent, but I am inclinded to think that lack of
supervision on account of the many changes among Civil Surgeons is a
big factor.
7. The average number of persons vaccinated by each vaccinator during
1919-20 has been very low in every district except Yeotmal, Bilaspur and Bala-
ghat, where the vaccinators worked up to the minimum standard laid down.
I am glad to note that Damoh shows an improvement in this respect.
Vaccinations performed by
other agencies.
8. The Jail and Railway medical officers performed 1,918 operations of
which 591 were primary and 1,327 revaccinations, the
figures for the two previous years being 261 and 85 and
349 and 568 respectively.
Dispensary vaccination.
Statement III.
9. As there is no vaccinator at Pachmarhi the local Sub-Assistant Surgeon
was detailed to perform vaccination in that Municipality.
He did 436 vaccinations in 1919-20 of which 23 were
primary and 413 revaccinations.
Cost of the Department.
Statement II.
10. The total cost of the Department was Rs. 3,97,305-5-9 against
Rs. 3,36,559-1-1 in the preceding triennium, and the
cost for each successful vaccination averaged annas four
and pies eight, against annas three and pies two. The increase is mainly due to
the expansion of the work at the Vaccine Institute, Nagpur, which, on the
1st October 1917, extended its supply to all the twenty-two districts in the province
and also to some Feudatory States and Military authorities. Grant of war and
scarcity allowances to the staff also contributed towards the increased cost.
Inspection of vaccination.
Statement V.
11. The inspection work performed by Civil Surgeons and their assistants
in 1916-17 and 1917-18 has already been commented
on in the notes for those years, and it is therefore un-
necessary to recapitulate in this report. In 1919-20, many of the Civil Surgeons
seem to have taken little interest in this part of their duties—6.52 per cent of
the primary and 5.79 of the revaccinations were inspected against 8.21 and 6.49,
respectively, in the previous year. Only in Nimar, Hoshangabad, Saugor,
Damoh and Wardha districts was a good amount of vaccination inspection done
by Civil Surgeons. The inspection work in Mandla and Seoni was fair, but in
the remaining districts of Central Provinces and in the four Berar districts the
work has not been satisfactory, this is especially the case in Balaghat, Chanda,
Narsinghpur, Betul and Drug, Prevalence of epidemic diseases, which claimed
much of their attention, and the lack of tents for touring purposes have undoubtedly
hindered Civil Surgeons from going out on tour freely, but much can be
done if these officers at the time of inspecting branch dispensaries will make a few
days' halt en route at any big village which has several smaller villages in its
vicinity at a convenient distance for visiting. The Civil Surgeon, Balaghat, made
no inspections during the past year, and the unfavourable comments made in the
notes for 1918-19 do not seem to have improved matters in Betul and Narsingh-
pur. The Civil Surgeon of the latter district, the smallest in the province, asks