Annual sanitary report of the Province of Assam.

  • Assam
Date:
[1944]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual sanitary report of the Province of Assam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    improvements in the old plants could be carried out during the year due to nonavailability of materials and machinery. In the bigger towns, e.g., Gauhati, Tezpur and Jorhat, the water supply plants are almost on the verge of breakdown and even the present supply is unsatisfactory in quality and inadequate in quantity. In Municipalities which do not have a piped supply system, water is obtained from ‘reserved” tanks tube wells or shallow wells. The condition of these has also not been satisfactory due to lack of proper maintenance. With the return of peace and normal conditions, it is to be hoped that the urgent problem of proper piped water supply system in all Municipal towns will receive due attention oi the authorities concerned. Government help may be required and should not be withheld for the installation of new water supply plants or renovation and extension of existing ones. CHAPTER VH Rural Sanitation 41. The bulk of the population of Assam, as of other provinces of India, lives in rural areas, but the sanitary conditions of villages remain as primitive as ever. The responsibility for rural sanitation devolves on Local Boards who should pay special attention to the provision of adequate and safe water supplies in the villages, apart from drainage, conservancy service and communications. Unless determined and sustained efforts are made for the betterment of the living conditions or the rural masses, no progress in the country can be expected. The public health measures carried out in the rural areas by the Public Health Staff are protection against Cholera by inoculation and use of bacteriophage and protection against Small-pox by vaccination apart from general sanitary supervision and disinfection of sources of water-supply. The Public Health Department Dispensaries carry out treatment of Kala-Azar, Malaria, Yaws, Leprosy, Dysentery and Diarrhoea, etc., in the rural areas and Anti-Malaria Drugs are also distributed through village Post Offices, Medical aid is also provided by Local Board Dispensaries, but vast rural areas still remain without any heath service, preventive or curative. A sum of Rs.7,62,427 was spent by Local Boards on public health measures during the year 1944 as against Rs.5.83,485 during the previous year. Sources of water-supply in rural areas are tanks, streams and nullahs, ring-wells and rarely tube-wells. The so-called “reserved” mnks are often neglected and pure drinking water is hardly ever available in any rural area. During 1939, a total of 511 sources of water-supply was constructed from a g ant made by the Government of India, but it appears that most of these have not been maintained. A Scheme for the provision of at least one protected source of water-supply, e. g., a properly constructed well for each village has been included in the Post-War Reconstruction Schemes. CHAPTER VIII Malaria 42. The epidemic of Malaria, which broke out in the Habiganj Subdivision of Sylhe^ dristrict during 1942 and continued through 1943, was brought under control by about the middle of 1944. The group of villages collectively known as Baniyachong with a population of approximately 40,000 was the worst, affected area. It is estimated that about 10,000 lives were lost as a result of this Malaria epidemic. The probable causal factors of the epidemic were : — (1) Importation of a new strain of malaria parasite by a comparatively large labour population! returning from military projects in forwards areas. (2) Presence of the vactor species of mosquito in abnormally large numbers due to climatic condi¬ tions and absence of periodical flushing 'effect due to the monsoon being less heavy and more spread out during 1943 and 1944 (3) Low resistance of the population due to chronic state of malnutrition and absence of immunity to the new strain of infection. The Malaria Research Officer of the Assam Medical Research Societv was appointed Malariologist in immediate charge of Anti-Malana measures in this area. A malaria survey was carrid out and anti-adult spraying of ail habitations was organised and started in July 1944 and continued vigorously. Treatment centres were opened where not only anti-malaria drugs but also milk, barley and blankets were distributed to the indigent patients. Certain charitable institutions rendered valuable aid in providing staff for manning some of the centres. Malaria is responsible for a very large percentage of morbidity and mortality in the Province. During the year 104,383 deaths were recorded as due to “fevers” and the cause wras mainly Malaria. The total number of Malaria cases treated in Hospitals and Dispensaries throughout the province was 869,993 of which 255,792 were treated in the Public Health Department Dispensaries. During the year, Goalpara. district in the Assam Valley also suffered badly due to malaria and recorded 15,626 deaths due to “fevers. 43. The Assam Medical Research Society continued to direct its activlfies mainly against malaria and provided valuable technical advice to the Public Health Department. As the Malaria Research Officer of the Society was loaned to Public Health Department for appointment as Malariologist for the Habiganj epidemic area, the general activities of the Society were rather restricted during the year. No training class was held during the year. A preliminary malaria survey of Government land adjoining Halem Tea Estate was carried out and the detailed malaria survey of Baniyachong area was cominued. During the year 19,093 anopheline larvae of 17 different species and 12,795 adult mosquitoes of 15 different species were identified. Out of 6,508 mosquitoes dissected only two species, viz- A Minimus and A. Annularis showed an infectivity rate of 0-37 per cent and 0.02 per cent, respectively. Out of 1,658 children (2 to 10 years) examined 1,184 or 7L4 per cent, were found with enlarged spleens. Infant index among 104 infants examined was 17'3 per cent. 44. Sale of Quinine.—I he sale of quinine and its substitutes remained under Government control under the supervision of the, Director of Public Health. Distribution of the drugs vyas centralised at the Public Health Laboratory, Shillong. Considering all circumstances, the province was not badly off during the year for the supply of quinine and other Anti-Malaria Drugs. Quinine and Cinchona being in short supply,, efforts were continuously made with some success to popularise Mepacrine in place of quinine During the year 2,861 packets of Quinine Reinforced Cinchona Febrifuge tab’ets were sold through Post Offices and other rural agencies throughout the province as compared .with 1,817 packets sold during 1943. The supply of these packets had o be stopped from October due to non-availability of these tablets and a Scheme to substitute Mepacrine was taken up but did not materialise during the year. A Statement showing separately quantities in pounds of Quinine and secondary alkaloids of Cinchona distributed free or at reduced price by the Public Health and Medical Departments and other sources during the year 1944 is appended.
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