Triennial report on the working of hospitals and dispensaries in Bengal : 1938, 1939, and 1940.

  • Bengal (India). Medical Department.
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Triennial report on the working of hospitals and dispensaries in Bengal : 1938, 1939, and 1940. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/176 (page 18)
    Dysentery.—There was an increase in the number of cases treated for this disease, viz., 808,351 (723,962 amoebic and 84,389 bacillary) as compared with 686.748 in the previous triennium. Kala-azar.—A gradual increase is noticed in the number of kala-azar cases. The total for the period under report was 295,594 as against 251,872 in 1935- 37 and 199,966 in the triennium previous to that. Malaria.—Malaria still continues to account for the largest number of patients treated for any single disease. The total number of cases treated during the triennium under review was 12,021,269 as against 9,411,020 and 9.123.748 in the two preceding triennia. Influenza.—The number of influenza cases is gradually increasing. The total number for the three years under review was 660,374 as compared with 599,469 and 447,921 in the preceding two triennia. Smallpox.—There was a considerable decrease in the number of smallpox cases, the total number for the triennium being 2,634 with 98 deaths as against 4,870 with 263 deaths in the preceding triennium. Tuberculosis of lungs.—The extent of the ravages of this disease is still on the increase. The total figure for the three years under report was 57,372 as against 50,702 in 1935-37 and 38,672 in 1932- 34. The majority of these cases were treat¬ ed in the outdoor departments of the district headquarters hospitals. In some of these hospitals facilities were also available* for indoor treatment, but the accommodation was too small for the demand, the total number of beds for tuberculosis being only 95 in all the sadar hospitals at the end of 1940. There were only two special tuber¬ culosis hospitals outside Calcutta, viz., the Jadavpur Tuberculosis Hospital, 24-Parganas and the Darjeeling Tuber¬ culosis Hospital. The number of patients treated in these two institutions during the 3 years under review was as follows :—- 1938. 1939. 1940. Jadavpur Tuberculosis 373 375 444 Hospital, including its annexe, the S. B. Dey Sanatorium, Kurseong. Clark Tuberculosis Hos- 272 383 461 nital, Darjeeling. Epidemic Dropsy including Beri- Beri.—There was a decrease in the number of cases treated for these diseases. The total number of cases for the triennium under report was 35,702 (23,396 for Epidemic Dropsy and 12,306 for Beri-Beri) as against a total of 40,721 (18,305 for Epidemic Dropsy and 22,416 for Beri-Beri) in the previous triennium. Diseases of the Eye.—Patients treated for various maladies of the eye showed a slight increase. The total treated in the triennium was 1,341,556 as against 1,310,724 in the preceding triennium. Surgical Operations.—(Statement E). —During the period under report there was a total number of 511,901 operations on 501,526 patients, as com¬ pared with 494,166 operations on 489,595 patients in the triennium end¬ ing in 1937. The figures for the three years under review are shown below :— Operations Persons performed, operated on. 1938 .. .. 168,230 165,984 1939 .. .. 170,021 164,621 1940 • • • • .. 173,650 170,921 Total .. 511,901 601,626 In the State public, local-fund and private-aided institutions, 439,260 operations were performed on 431,731 patients during the period under report as compared with 390,420 operations on 385,859 patients during the preceding triennium. The results of operations are given below:— 1938. 1939. 1940. Persons cured 131,073 137,653 148,029 Persons relieved 3,405 3,273 4,504 Persons discharged other¬ wise. 401 374 662 Persons died 396 650 522 Persons who remained under treatment. 352 332 305 The total number of selected and important operations performed during the triennium under report was 40,639, as against 29,590 in the preceding triennium, showing an increase of 11,049 operations. The figures for some of the