MEDICAL & PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

DISEASES COMMON TO THE DISTRICT

Malaria, tuberculosis, and epidemic diseases like cholera and smallpox, guineaworm, leprosy and fevers are noted to exist in Bhir district. These have aroused the attention of the Medical and Public Health Department in the district and various schemes have been undertaken to organise preventive and curative measures to eradicate these diseases. The emphasis today is, however, on the preventive aspect of those diseases rather than their curative side.

Epidemic outbreaks of cholera and smallpox are checked by prompt and effective measures adopted by the Public Health Department. Malaria posed, till quite recently, a serious problem for the Public Health Department in the district. An intensive anti-malaria drive was launched during the First Five-Year Plan period and has since been continued. Likewise frightful diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis are being dealt with under special schemes in the district.

The following statement shows the vital statistics in Bhir district for the year 1961:—

The birth-rate and the death-rate in Bhir district worked out to 15.2 and 7.2, respectively, per thousand in 1961. The infant mortality-rate works out to 63 per thousand live births in the district.