The Gazetteers Department

Health Services : Although in urban areas and in big cities quite a large number of doctors and medical institutions are available sometimes they are not within the financial reach of the common man. In rural areas the position is even worse and the responsibility of providing medical facilities to the rural folks mainly rests with the Government and the local bodies. Public health as a special phenomenon has during recent times attracted Government attention. In the beginning the facilities were mostly confined to urban areas. Now the facilities cover the rural areas as well.

The following statement shows the health services in the district for the years 1951, 1954, 1956 and 1961: —

Year	Medical Graduates	Medical Licentiates	Sanitary and Health Inspectors	Vaccinators	Other health staff
1951	2	Nil.	21	22	36
1954	3	2	22	19	Nil.
1956	2	1	29	25	Nil.
1961	4	7	51	22	52

The following statement gives information regarding persons in medical and allied occupations in the district as per 1961 Census: —

Sex	Group I			Group II
Sex	Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total
Males	206	328	534	263	307	570
Females	26	27	53	224	177	401
Total	232	355	587	487	484	971

In the statement above group I includes persons enumerated as physicians, surgeons and dentists, while group II represents nurses, pharmacists and other medical and health technicians. The statement shows that there were 355 doctors in rural areas and 232 in urban areas. Thus there was one doctor for a population group of 4,475 in rural areas and for a population group of 807 in urban areas which brings out the wide disparity in the existing medical facilities in respect of urban and rural areas. It also underlines the need for doctors to pay more attention to rural areas than the urban areas. In addition to regular medical practitioners there were 971 other persons in the medical profession in the district which included nurses, pharmacists and those belonging to other health organisation.

The present District Health Office has a staff of a District Health Officer, an Administrative Officer, two Epidemic Medical Officers, twenty-three Sanitary Inspectors, one Superintendent of Vaccination, twenty-two nurses, 83 mid-wives, 121 Female Field Workers. 29 Co-ordinators, 115 Vaccinators, 19 Leprosy Technicians, twenty Drivers and other necessary clerical staff.

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