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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS
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MEDICAL PROFESSION
The growth of the medical profession in the district could be traced back to the last about four decades. Gradually, the vaidyas and quacks lost their hold on the people, except in the far-off villages. Most of the people in the district have come to realise the worth of medicine as a cure for diseases. This understanding could be attributed to various factors such as spread of education, increasing awareness and change in the attitude of the people.
The net effect of all these factors is that people in rural as well as urban areas have become health-conscious and no longer hesitate to visit a doctor in the event of illness.
The following Census figures reflect the change in the composition and the growth in the number of persons employed in these services. The 1951 Census recorded 823 persons (639 males, 184 females) as engaged in medical and other health services. Of these, 593 (446 males, 147 females), i.e., 72 per cent were in urban areas. The 1961 Census recorded 587 physicians, surgeons and dentists, of whom 53 were females. Of these, 232 were in urban areas. Besides,
the Census also recorded nurses, pharmacists and other medical and health technicians who numbered 471 (70 males, 401 females).
It becomes obvious from the above statistics that in 1961 there was one doctor for a population of 4,475 in rural areas, while 807 persons in urban areas were served by one doctor.
The 1971 Census records 752 establishments providing medical and health facilities in the district, of which 535 are located in rural areas and the remaining 217, in urban areas. The urban and rural establishments provide employment to 1,217 and 1,346 persons, respectively.
A medical practitioner was found to earn Rs. 300 to Rs. 1,000 per month in the district.
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