ANNUAL
VACCINATION REPORT
BIHAR AND ORISSA
FOR THE YEAR
1923-24.
1. Staff.—LT.-COL. W. C. ROSS, I.M.S., held charge of the department
throughout the year and submits this report.
The three Assistant Directors of Public Health remained in charge of
their respective circles during the year except that Dr. J. L. Das officiated for
Dr. B. P. Mazumdar for two months whilst he was on leave. Otherwise
Dr. T. Sebastian remained in charge of the North Bihar Circle, Dr. S. N.
Tiwari of the Chota Nagpur and Orissa Circle and Dr. B. P. Mazumdar of the
South Bihar Circle throughout the year.
The Inspecting Staff consisted of 20 District Inspectors of vaccination
and 69 Sub-Inspectors of Vaccination (including three deputed for duty at the
Vaccine Depôt) in addition to the one Sub-Assistant Surgeon combining
vaccination inspection with other duties in Angul. The total number of
vaccinators employed in the province during the year was 1,088 licensed and
228 paid, against 1,089 licensed and 222 paid in the previous year.
In municipalities and in the district of Puri, vaccination was done by
paid vaccinators ; but otherwise the work throughout the province was carried
out under the licensing system, except for the employment of paid vaccinators
by District Boards, and employed temporarily by Civil Surgeons for short
periods to deal with outbreaks of small-pox.
2. Operations performed.—The total number of operations performed
during the year amounted to 1,043,264 as compared with 1,002,889
last year. There has again been an increase in the total number of operations
which is very satisfactory, and indicates that the difficulties and the opposition
experienced in 1920 and 1921 are gradually diminishing. Of the total number
of operations in the province 1,031,904 were performed by the staff of the
Vaccination Department as compared with 988,601 last year. Nine hundred
and ninety-nine thousand, seven hundred and eighteen operations were primary
and 32,186 were re-vaccinations as against 965,666 primary operations and
22,935 re-vaccinations last year.
There was an increase of 34,052 in the number of primary operations and
of 9,251 in the number of re-vaccinations during the year. Of the total
operations performed (1,031,904), 1,010,911 equal to 97.96 per cent. were
successful, as compared with 972,003 equal to 98.32 last year.
The number of operations performed in municipalities increased by 4,213
as compared with last year's returns. The total number of operations
performed was 39,937 and the number of successful operations was 35,918 of
which 32,833 were primary and 3,085 were re-vaccinations as compared with
28,963 and 3,502 respectively last year. The ratios of success in municipalities
were 97.25 per cent. for primary operations and 49.94 per cent. for re-vaccina-
tions as compared with 96.77 per cent. and 60.41 per cent., respectively,
last year.
The number of operations performed in rural areas was 991,967 as com-
pared with 952,877 last year and the ratios of successes were 99.33 per cent.
for primary operations and 59.44 for re-vaccinations.
Patna Division.
3. Vaccination in Districts.—Of the three districts of the Patna Divi-
sions, Gaya and Shahabad reported
an increase in the number of operations
performed (4,270) and (663) whilst Patna reported a decrease of over 1,000.