MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

DISEASES COMMON TO THE DISTRICT

The diseases common in the district are malaria, cholera, smallpox and other fevers and respiratory diseases. Mention may be made of tuberculosis which is also widespread in the district. All these diseases have attracted the attention of Public Health Department and many schemes have been undertaken to organise preventive measures to eradicate them.

Malaria.- A malaria control unit was established at Jalgaon in 1953 because the incidence of malaria in the tahsil was high. The entire district was brought under malaria eradication programme in the year 1958. Under this programme DDT is spread throughout the district, between June and October every year. Surveillance programme was introduced during 1960 under which surveillance workers visit the houses in areas noted for malaria incidence twice in a month to detect fever cases. Up to 1961 four more sub-centres were established at Chikhli, Khamgaon, Malka-pur and Mehkar for carrying out the malaria eradication programme. Details of the coverage of spraying done and insecticides (DDT 75 per cent w.p.) used during 1961-62 are shown below: -

A third round of spraying during the same period was given to 29 villages in Chikhli tahsil covering a population of 26,897. Following statement shows the number of in-door and out-door malaria patients treated: -

Tuberculosis.-Mass BCG vaccination campaign was carried out in the district in 1961. During this campaign the infant BCG vaccination was given almost in all the hospitals and dispensaries. The TB sanatorium hospital at Buldhana accommodates nearly 2,000 patients. In the year 1964, 161 cases were treated and 57 cases were vaccinated. The total number of in-door and out-door patients for the period 1963 to 1965 is given in the following statement: -

Leprosy.-The control measures for this disease are administered mainly through the out-patients treatment in all hospitals, dispensaries, special treatment centres, etc. The voluntary organisations also undertake such out-patient treatment. One leprosy clinic is functioning at Borkhedi in Malkapur tahsil. During the second plan period five survey, education and treatment units were started at Nandura, Janefal, Sangrampur, Buldhana and Sindkhed-Raja. A leprosy subsidiary centre was also started at Khamgaon in the year 1960. One special ward with 6 beds has been provided in the main hospital. The centre at Khamgaon covers 24 villages having a population of 79,862 as per 1961 Census. In 1961, 255 cases were under treatment in this centre.

Cholera.-When the outbreak of cholera epidemic is reported, prompt steps are taken to organise mass anti-cholera inoculation in the affected areas. Temporary cholera regulations under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, are applied sometimes to enable the staff to undertake mass inoculation campaign without public opposition. Regular disinfection of water sources with the bleaching powder is undertaken so that the villagers would not fall a prey to the disease. In 1961, 21 deaths were recorded in the district. The number of patients for the year 1963, 1964 and 1965 is shown in the following statement: -

As regards small-pox, the number of deaths recorded in 1961 was put at 79. The out-door patients treated in 1963, 1964 and 1965 were 762, 22 and 13, respectively, as against the in-door patient who numbered 1, 238 and 1 for the same years.

The vaccination statistics and cholera inoculation in Buldhana district is shown in the following statement: -

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