MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

MEDICAL ORGANISATION

The Medical Organisation in the district is essentially a hospital organisation designed to render medical relief to the general population.

The Civil Hospital, Alibag, is the main Government hospital at the headquarters. It is owned, staffed, financed and controlled by Government. There are also a number of Government aided dispensaries and hospitals which are scattered throughout the district. They are mostly owned and managed by the municipalities and the District Local Board. Under the respective Acts, the responsibility for the provisions of medical relief is laid on the municipalities and local boards Government have prescribed that they must devote at least four per cent and ten per cent respectively, of their annual income to medical relief. Reports are submitted every year to Government showing to what extent this obligation is discharged.

The medical officers in charge of the municipal and the District Local Board dispensaries are for the most part Government servants who draw their pay and pensions directly from Government. The local bodies pay contribution to Government at the rate of Rs. 200 a month for a Maharashtra Medical Service, Class II Officer and Rs. 1,566 per year for a Maharashtra Medical Service, Class III Officer and Rs. 100 per month for an Ayurvedic Class III Officer of the same Service. Government pays them an equivalent grant-in-aid. These hospitals and dispensaries are governed according to the Rules for the Regulation of Government Aided Charitable Dispensaries, 1928, whereby, among other-things the medical officers are required to perform the medicolegal work. The institutions are under the management of the local bodies concerned and their affairs are supervised by a Dispensary Committee appointed by the District Local Board or the municipality as the case may be. In the case of hospitals and dispensaries maintained by private bodies, grants equal to one-fourth of their approved expenditure or equal to the actual deficit, whichever is less, are given.

Civil Surgeon.

The Civil Surgeon who is a Maharashtra Medical Service, Class I Officer, is in charge of the Civil Hospital and is the head of the medical organisation in the district. He is directly subordinate to the Surgeon-General. He is in charge of the medical arrangements of the Civil Hospital and exercises complete control over the medical officers in the district and as their head is responsible for their efficiency, discipline and proper performance of their duties. He is, in addition, the inspecting officer of all Government-aided hospitals and dispensaries in the district and as such supervises their administration. He has to take an active part in the sanitary administration of Alibag town as well as in public health matters affecting the district in collaboration with the health officers of the Alibag municipality and the Public Health Officer of the district. He had under him a total staff of 9 graduates, 15 licentiates and 28 Vaidyas.

Civil Hospital, Alibag.

The Civil Hospital, Alibag, is a general hospital which provides treatment for all diseases. It has accommodation for 28 beds and maintains an out-patients department also. It is a fairly well-equipped hospital where major and minor operations are also performed. The staff of the hospital consists of the Civil Surgeon (Maharashtra Medical Service, Class I), one (M.M.S., Class III) Allopathic Officer and one (M.M.S., Class III) Ayurvedic Medical Officer. The Civil Surgeon allots the duties of these officers hut for disciplinary action they are under the control of the Surgeon-General with the Government of Maharashtra.

There is an advisory committee attached to the hospital. It is composed of the Civil Surgeon as its Chairman and six other members. The committee helps the management of the hospital by keeping the authorities informed of the needs of the hospital as viewed by the public and advising the medical officer in charge of all measures of reform to be carried out in connection with the welfare of the patients. The departmental rules provide for the election to this committee of representatives of the District Local Board and the Alibag municipality and also for the nomination of two ladies.

Such committees also function at the Government dispensaries in the district. They are called Dispensary Committees and consist of members nominated by local authorities such as the District Local Board or the, municipality concerned from among their members and local social workers. They help in carrying out measures calculated to promote the welfare of the patients in general.

Dispensaries.

In addition to the Civil Hospital, Alibag, there are six municipal dispensaries located at Mahad, Panvel, Uran, Pen, Matheran and Roha. District Local Board dispensaries are situated at Nagothana, Mangaon, Revdanda, Pali, Pedhambe, Choudhi, Khamgaon, Apta, Borli Mandla and Borli Panchayatan. There are five private medical dispensaries and hospitals open to public, viz., (i) A. M. M. Maternity Home, Roha, (ii) Panvel Maternity Home and Infant Welfare League, Panvel; (iii) Smt. J. R. Seth Karva Maternity Home, Mahad: (iv) Pen Taluka Maternity Home and Infant Welfare Centre, Pen and (v) Kolaba Maternity Hospital, Alibag.

Subsidised Medical Practitioner Centres.

There are 28 subsidised medical practitioner centres in the district located at the following places:―

This scheme was introduced in 1936 to encourage qualified medical practitioners to settle in rural areas. Under this scheme, a practitioner receives a monthly subsidy and travelling allowance and a limited supply of medicines. An allopathic subsidised medical practitioner gets Rs. 150 per month as a subsidy and an ayurvedic qualified hand gets Rs. 120. A non-qualified subsidised medical practitioner (ayurvedic) gets Rs. 80 per month. Travelling allowance is paid to all alike at the rate of Rs. 37.50 per month. Allopathic subsidised medical practitioners are supplied with medicines worth Rs. 500 per year while ayurvedic subsidised medical practitioners worth Rs. 300 per year. Four-fifths of the expenditure is borne by Government and one-fifth by the District Local Board.

Medical Work in Community Project.

The medical organisation working within the Community Project area in the district led to the opening of a maternity home at Karjat on October 2, 1963; the starting of one subsidised medical practitioner centre at Jambrung on December 1, 1955 and the proposed hospital-cum-maternity home at Khopoli.

Sarvodaya scheme covers 57 villages in Kolaba district (26 in Alibag, 18 in Roha and 13 in Murud taluka). The Sanchalak in-charge of the Sarvodaya Centre is given technical advice by the Medical Department when required. He maintains a dispensary at Sudkoli with four such centres at Mithekar, Mahadeokbar, Kopari and Bhonang. In addition there are three subsidised medical practitioner centres at Ramraj, Kokban and Sudkoli under the Sarvodaya scheme.

Health Education.

'Health' education" in' the' district' is carried out by' Sanitary Inspectors. With the aid of Film Strip Projector, demonstrations and lectures are delivered on subjects such as small-pox, guinea-worm, school hygiene, nutritious food, etc. Stalls are arranged at the time of fairs and exhibitions where posters and models on health subjects are exhibited. Group discussions are also carried out in the rural areas.

Family Planning.

The family planning centres have been established at Karjat, Khopoli and Nagothna in Kolaba district in association with the primary health centres. A field worker is appointed at each of the Family Planning Centre. He is popularising the modern ways and means of family planning and they are emphasising the importance and need of family planning. He also explains the necessity of undergoing vasectomy operations voluntarily.

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