Report on the public health administration of the Punjab.

  • Punjab (India). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1925]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health administration of the Punjab. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/80
    Proceedings of the Punjab Government (Ministry of Education) in the Home (Medical and Sanitary) Department No. 28596, dated the 29th September 1926. Read— The Report on the Public Health Administration of the Punjab for the year 1925. Remarks,—The year 1925, was ia spite of unfavourable climatic condi¬ tions, one of the healthiest years. There was no prevalence of epidemic diseases and the distribution of the monsoon rainfall, which was above normal, was un¬ favourable to malaria. The death rate was not only 13*4 'per mille less than the rate of the previous year, but also less than the average for the previous quin- quennium. 2. The Punjab continues to be the second province in India having a high birth-rate, and the excess of births over deaths was 10*1 per mille of the population. There was, however, no variation in the birth-rate for 1925 over the figure for the previous year. 3. Cholera originated during the year under review at the Katas fair in the Jhelum District and within the short space of ten days had affected no less than eleven districts. The cause was apparently an imported case from Kashmir territory and lack of proper arrangments for the supply of water for drinking purposes. Pairs at places where adequate arrangements for the supply of pure drinking water do not exist, are a constant source for the in¬ ception of this disease. The local bodies usually display an apathy towards making adequate sanitary arrangements for fairs and have often not the means to undertake large schemes. This apathy is frequently ex¬ tended to all sanitary and health measures and melical officers of health experience considerable difficulty in obtaining sanction of local bodies to the entertainment of the minimum staff required for efficient arrangements. Although the number of cases of smallpox is on the increase, no local body except the municipal committees of Lahore, Amritsar and Simla have opened separate smallpox hospitals. Simla ia the only place where a real effort is made to isolate cases of smallpox. Vigorous efforts are being made by the Public Health Department to make vaccination popular in the absence of statutory provisions requiring the compulsory vaccination of per- son.s. Plague never assumed alarming proportions and the number of reported deaths was below the average for the previous quinquennium by 25,811. Preventive measures against plague were adopted with satisfactory results and a systematic anti-rat campaign was carried out in almost all the infected districts. Inoculation is gradually becoming more and more popular and people have now begun to realise its protective value. The temporary additional staff engaged for carrying on anti-plague measures rendered medical aid to 63,744 persons in addition to their duties during the course of their tours in the districts. The number of deaths due to all kinds of fevers was as usual in excess of deaths from any other cause, but was less than last year. Cases of relapsing fever still continue to occur in the western districts of the Punjab. 4. A centre for anti-rabic treatment was opened at the Bacteriological Laboratory of the King Edward Medical College at Lahore and in spite of the fact that 8,798 patients from the Punjab attended the Pasteur Institute at Kasauli against 2,786 in the previous year, as many as 2,048 patients were treated at Lahore. These figures show that a number of persons do not take the trouble to go for treatment to Kasauli and it has therefore been decided gradually to extend the facilities for such treatment throughout the pro¬ vince. 6. The activities of the department are rapidly extending and much useful work was done by the Public Health School. Maternity and Child Welfare Centres were extended. In addition attempts were made by the delivery of lectures and the distribution of leaflets and pamphlets to dis.seminate amongst the masses a knowledge of the value of the hygienic living. The importance of propaganda in public health matters caanot be too strongly emphasised.