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

  • Madras (India). Health Department
Date:
[1944]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    8/56 (page 4)
    The department has been struggling for the past 4 years for want of a correct and detailed census of the population of the city. Now that the war is over it is strongly urged that a census should be taken as ear]y as possible' and figures regarding the population of each division, under various heads such as community, age and occupation, should be made available to the Corporation. The next census would ordinarily be taken up only in 1951 but as the department has to give a correct indication of the health of the city it should not be made to labour under the present difficulties so long. C. S. GOYINDA PILLAI, M. B. Ch. B., L. R. C. P. & S., D. P. H. (Edin.), \ Health Officer. It is gratifying to note that there has been a slight fall in the death-rate from 37*59 in 1943 to 36*19 in 1944 although the death-rate is still abnor¬ mally high. The birth-rate has like .wise fallen from 36*51 per mille in 1943 to 31*74 in 11944. The decline in the birth-rate, which is a satisfactory feature in an overpopulated country, must be attributed to the absence of a large number of young Indians on military service outside India. It is curious to note however the marked increase in the birth-rate among Anglo-Indians—the figure being as high as 51T9 per mille against the average of only 33*51 for all communities. Infant mortality has unfortunately gone up from 247*30 per mille in 1943 to 284*27 in 1944. The city was comparatively free from Cholera this year—the deaths being only 16 com¬ pared with 400 in the previous year. Notwithstanding the difficulties in procuring materials and labour, 1,064 flushout latrines were constructed in private houses in 1944 as against only 612 in 1943. The Corporation aims at constructing about 3000 private flushout latrines every year in future and measures have already been taken to step-up construction. Now that the world-war is over, an improvement in food supply and also in the supply of essential medicines may be expected and with it a marked improvement in public health as well as in mortality figures. J. P. L. SHENOY, 24-9-1945. Commissioner.