The Gazetteers Department

The diseases noted to have been common in the district are malaria, leprosy, small-pox, fevers and respiratory diseases. Tuberculosis is also fairly wide spread in the district.

Malaria.—Under the National Malaria Control Programme, a malaria control unit was started in the district from October 1954. The State Government provides the operational cost while the Central Government supplies all insecticides, drugs, equipment and transport required. Under this programme DDT is sprayed twice in a year in the endemic areas with a special third round in selected areas. Under the programme, two methods of surveillance viz., active and passive are carried out. In 1961-62 98.86 per cent houses were sprayed and under the active surveillance work 88,669 fever cases were detected and 79,978 persons were given presumptive treatment.

Leprosy.—Leprosy is a dangerous disease that causes deformation amongst the persons affected. The intensive efforts for the control of the disease are undertaken through the out-patient treatment. To encourage patients suffering from leprosy to go in for proper treatment as early as possible, without fear or shame, intensive health and education propaganda was undertaken through the SET units and leprosy subsidiary centres. The two tahsils viz., Sakoli and Gondia have a large number of lepers. Three leprosy subsidiary centres at Sakoli, Gondia and Bhandara and five survey, education and treatment units at Tumsar, Arjuni-Morgaon, Pauni, Tirora and Gondia were established. During the Second Plan period these centres surveyed 41,634 persons, detected 15,892 cases and treated 2,804 persons. The leprosy incidence per thousand for the district was put at 15.08 as against 10.65 for Nagpur division.

Tuberculosis.— To control and eradicate tuberculosis, BCG vaccination was carried out during 1961 in the district. During the anti-T.B. campaign the infant BCG vaccination programme was started in most of the hospitals and dispensaries. In 1961 the total number of persons tested in the Bhandara, Sakoli and Gondia tahsils of the district was 37,089, 64,773 and 97,580 out of whom 15,249, 25,857 and 41,182, respectively showed positive symptoms. To meet the requirements of the district, one T.B. Hospital at Gondia was started in 1957-58. The hospital provided facility for 50 beds with X-ray plant and other modern equipment.

Cholera.—Anti-cholera inoculation is taken in hand immediately by the Public Health Department on receipt of information regarding the out-break of cholera epidemic. Temporary cholera regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, are applied to the affected areas to enable the staff to push on mass inoculations campaign without public opposition. Besides this, disinfection of water sources with bleaching powder and propaganda about steps to be taken by all villagers are also carried out so that they would not fall a prey to the disease. Cholera in a virulent form was prevalent in the district during 1958 when 536 cases and 61 deaths were reported. In 1964, 6,02,098 persons were inoculated. 57 deaths occurred in the district in 1966 due to cholera.

Small-Pox.—Small-pox disease was also virulent during the years 1951, 1955 and 1956. The number of deaths due to this disease was 250 in 1956. The number of vaccinations in 1960 was 2,20,258. With a view to create resistance to the incidence of small-pox 3.39 lakhs of persons were vaccinated and re-vaccinated during 1966.67. Except two districts viz., Bhandara and Wardha, all the districts of the State recorded deaths from small-pox.

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