Report of the Health Officer, Corporation of Madras Health Department.

  • Madras (India). Health Department.
Date:
[1964]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Health Officer, Corporation of Madras Health Department. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/334 (page 2)
    Epidemic and endemic diseases : Eventhough Small-Pox prevailed in epidemic form in the first half, and in an endemic form in the second half of the year, the number of persons affected were less than that of the previous year. 2,201 attacks and 491 deaths were recorded during the year as against 2,378 and 577 deaths of previous year, though 1964 was a cyclic epidemic year for the City. The National Small-Pox Eradication Programme sponsored by the Government of India for a period of one year from 2-10-1963 and launched in the city under the supervisory control of the Health Officer was continued during the whole of 1964 and the period was extended till 30th September, 1965. During the year 1964, 30 divisions in the North and 27 in the South were covered and 4,16,807 and 3,14,400 vaccinations were done in the North and South Districts respectively. The “attack phase” of programme is being continued. The whole City expected to be completed within the stipulated period. An unprecedented epidemic of “Dengue-like-fever” broke out in the City in the month of July affecting some lakhs of persons but fortunately the mortality was very low when compared to Dengue epidemics that have occured in 1962 at Calcutta, Singapore and Thailand, etc. On the wake of the epidemic of Dengue-like-fever, Cholera broke out in an epidemic form in the month of September 1964. Most of the Northern parts of the City were affected. A total of 2,163 attacks were recorded out of which 130 cases proved fatal which works out to 6% only which is the lowest case fatality ever recorded in the City for Cholera. Vaccination and inoculation: Along with the work done by the divisional staff a total of 9,60,599 vaccinations were done against Small-pox, 1,18,537 inoculations against Cholera, and 6,758 inoculations against Typhoid were performed in the vear 1964. In addition to these 2,932 vaccinations and 5,141 inoculations were done to the International Travellers and 8,073 certificates were issued during the year under review. Anti-mosquito operations : The supervisory control of anti-mosquito operations in the City was transferred to the Assistant Commissioners, North and South Districts from the Senior Entomologist (N.M.E.P.). The staff allotted for each circle were placed under the direct supervision of the Circle Health Officers to have close check over their work. As usual all the breeding sources in the City were cleaned and treated with larvicides. The Pilot Filaria Survey and Control Scheme continued during the year 1964 also and it is expected from the information that is derived from the Pilot Project, a proposal of Control of Filariasis in Hyperendemic areas of City will be placed before the Council for acceptance. National malaria eradication programme: The National Programme of Malaria Eradication was continued in the City during 1964. The main plan of control in the City is the destruction of the larval and pupal stages of “ANOPHELES” which breeds in clear water collections in wells, cisterns, overhead tanks, etc. The surveillance wing of the programme is also continued and all the fever cases detected by them were treated with 4 aminoquinole tablets after taking blood smears for examination of malaria parasites and positive cases. Laboratory studies for investigation into mortality rate of mosquitoes caught and the effectiveness of different insecticides over them were carried out throughout the year.