Annual report of the Director of Public Health for the Government of Bombay.

  • Bombay (India : State). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1933]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Director of Public Health for the Government of Bombay. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    27/280 (page 11)
    Two Baby Shows in Belgaum and five magic lantern shows in Dharwar District were celebrated by the respective Baby Week Committees. Educative propaganda work was also done by the Red Cross Travelling Dispensaries in villages in Belgaum, Kanaraand Bijapur districts.” The Assistant Director of Public Health, Sind Registration District, reports:— “ In Hyderabad town, the Lady Health Visitor paid 3,088 visits to waiting, delivery and other cases after child-birth. The municipal midwives conducted 767 labour cases. In Sukkur and Rohri towns both the Maternity Homes are under the charge of qualified lady doctors besides a qualified midwife and two qualified dais are employed. At Sukkur 521 labour cases were conducted in the Maternity Home. The Red Cross Society has opened a Maternity and Child Welfare Centre since September 1931.” The Assistant Director of Public Health, Northern Registration District, reports :■— “ People in cities have grown to realize the advantage of qualified mid wives and show- increased advantage they take of Maternity Homes and Women Hospitals. As a result such Maternity Homes for different communities are springing up. Ten midwives have been engaged by Ahmedabad Municipality to help and advise the expectant mothers and attend to labour cases free of charge in the wards allotted to them.” The Medical Officer of Health, Surat Municipality, noted in his report as follows “ It is a great satisfaction that women in Surat City now take better advantage of the Maternity Hospitals. All the principal communities have their own maternity houses but Hindu Community needs one more in the central part of the city to serve the poorer classes. There are Maternity Hospitals, one each at Broach and Nadiad conducted under qualified Lady Doctors.” Other activities regarding Maternity and Child Welfare are given separately under Sanitary Associations and Health and Baby Week in Chapters IX and XI. The fol]owing is a brief extract from the section that deals with infant mortality in the Annual Report of the Executive Health Officer, Bombay Municipality :— “ Bombay City.—he deaths among infants under one year of age numbered 8,320, being 2,022 more than in the pieceding year and 725 more than the annual average in in the decenium 1923-32. The infant mortality rate expressed as the number of deaths in infants per 1,000 registered births wras 269 for the year 1933. The next lowest rate was 218 registered in 1932. Of the 8,320 infants who died within one year from their birth, 7,270 or 87 • 4 per cent, wore born in Bombay City and 1,050 or 12'6 per cent, in the mofussil showing the place of birth of these infants. The births of these 1,050 infants were thus not registered in the City register. If, therefore, the figure 1,050 be excluded from the total number of infants who died in the City during the year, the rate of infant deaths per 1,000 births registered would be 235*4 instead of the official figure 269 as shown above. Cause of Death.—It will be seen that 5,841 or nearly 70*2 per cent, of the total deaths in infants were due to diseases of the Respiratory System, Infantile Debility and Premature Births, against 4,901 deaths or 77 per cent, in 1932. Diarrhoea and Enteritis caused 414 deaths, Malaria, Ague and Remittent Eever 137 deaths, Fever not defined 39 deaths and Convulsions 594 deaths. The deaths from Small-pox and Measles numbered 717 and 18 respectively. Of the total deaths among infants, 1,699 or 20*4 per cent, took place in the first wreek of life and 1,338 or 16 per cent, in the age period of 1 to 4 wreeks. The mortality among infants who had not completed the first month of life was 3,037 or 36*5 per cent, of the total infant deaths. The number of deaths in the groups 4 weeks to 6 months and 6 to 12 months was 2,368 and 2,915 being respectively 28*5 and 35 per cent, of the total infant mortality.