The Gazetteers Department

THE MEDICAL ORGANISATION OF THE KOLHAPUR DISTRICT (AS DISTINCT FROM ITS PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANISATION) ESSENTIALLY CONSISTS of organisation of hospitals and dispensaries designed to render medical relief to the general population, The C. P. R. Hospital, Kolhapur, is the "Civil Hospital" at the headquarters. It is owned, financed and controlled by Government. Subsidiary to it, there are Municipal, District Local Board, Government Dispensaries, Rural Medical Relief Centres and Subsidised Medical Practitioners Centres scattered throughout the whole district.

There is a Municipal Hospital and Maternity Home at Ichalkaranji which was under the control of Government but was transferred since April 1956 to the Municipality. The Medical Officer of the Hospital is also under the control of Municipality. There is one grant-in-aid District Local Board Dispensary at Chandgad and the Medical Officer of the Dispensary is a Government Officer, who draws his pay and pension directly from Government.

The Civil Surgeon, Kolhapur, is the administrative head of the medical organization in the district. He is directly subordinate to the Surgeon-general with the Government of Bombay, Bombay. He is in charge of the medical arrangements of the C. P. R. Hospital, Kolhapur and exercises complete control over the Medical Officers attached to it. He is also the head of the Government Institutions in the district and is responsible for their efficiency and discipline and for the proper performance of their working. He is an Inspecting Officer of all Government dispensaries in the district. He is expected to keep himself well informed as to all medical matters in the district and to be able to furnish any information on medical matters which may be required by Government. He has under him a medical staff of Bombay Medical Service Class II-seven, Honorary Medical Officers-10, Bombay Medical Service Class III Officers-20 and Bombay Medical Service Class III (A)-2.

The C. P. R. Hospital, which was started by the Ex-Kolhapur State in the year 1884, was taken over by Bombay Government from 1st August 1949 after the merger of Deccan States. It has a large and commodious building which can accommodate 200 beds. It is classified in five Wards and Departments viz. X-Ray Department, Out-Patients Department, Medical Stores, Laboratory and Linen Department. The Linen is in charge of the Matron. The Training School at this Hospital has been started in 1951 and the School has made rapid progress in imparting the training. The results have been very encouraging. 30 probationary student nurses are under training at this Institution. There is a post of Sister-Tutor at this Hospital for teaching the Student Nurses. There exists a Nursing Home with five rooms which was newly started during 1956-57. Well-to-do persons can take advantage of it by paying reasonable charges. The daily average attendance of in-door patients at this hospital is 232 and that of out-door patients is 532 during the year 1956. The income of the hospital is Rs. 27,084 and expenditure is Rs. 4,49,199 during the year.

Attached to this hospital is an Advisory Committee with the Civil Surgeon as the Chairman and six other members. The function of this Committee is to help the management of the hospital by keeping the authorities informed as to the needs of the hospital as viewed by the public and by advising the Medical Officer in-charge on all measures of reform to be carried out in connection with the welfare of the patients. The Departmental Rules provide for the election to the committee, of representatives from the District Local Board and Kolhapur Municipal Borough, Kolhapur and also for the nomination of two ladies.

In addition to this, there is a Leprosy Colony at Kolhapur which is under the control of the Civil Surgeon, Kolhapur. It accommodates 150 persons. The incidence of leprosy in Kolhapur district is large. The isolation of leprosy patients as well as their treatment and rehabilitation are the most important points in dealing with the problem of the leprosy patients in the State, a problem which has to be dealt with more energetically in a Welfare State. Since the application of the Leprosy Act to the District of Kolhapur as well as to the adjoining districts, it becomes the responsibility of the State to isolate, at least the positive cases with active lesions to prevent the spread of the disease. Taking into consideration this problem, the Government have recently sanctioned to open a Leprosy Control Centre at Shahuwadi in this district. The Centre will start its function before the end of this financial year.

Tuberculosis Ward.-This hospital has a separate T. B. Ward with accommodation for 18 patients (nine Male and nine Female) and has an O. P. D. T. B. Clinic conducted thrice a week where arrangements for A. P. & P. P. are made. The incidence of T. B. in this district is high and more accommodation is necessary.

Rural Medical Relief Scheme.

Rural Medical Relief Scheme is in existence in this district for the last ten years and is rendering wonderful service to the village population, so far as relief of common ailments is concerned. There are at present 117 centres working throughout the district. They are providing allopathic medical aid to the public. The Scheme is providing simple remedies at a price within the reach of village patients. Rural Medical Relief Scheme is run by sub-dispensers who are either School teachers, secretaries of Gram Panchayats or social workers from a village. They are given two weeks training prior to being permitted to run a Centre. The Ex-Kolhapur State Administration was the first in the whole of Bombay State to start this Scheme.

There are at present the following Hospitals and Dispensaries under the control of the Civil Surgeon, Kolhapur:-

(1) C. P. R. Hospital, Kolhapur.

(2) Shenda Part Leprosy Colony, Kolhapur.

(3) Services Hospital, Kolhapur.

(4) Gandhinagar Colony Hospital, Valivade (Refugee).

(5) Government Dispensary, Panhala.

(6) Government Dispensary, Malkapur.

(7) Government Dispensary, Bambavade.

(8) Government Dispensary, Kagal.

(9) Government Dispensary, Kapshi.

(10) Government Dispensary, Murgud.

(11) Government Dispensary, Gargoti.

(12) Government Dispensary, Ajra.

(13) Government Dispensary, Gadhinglaj.

(14) Government Dispensary, Shirol.

(15) Government Dispensary, Kurundwad.

(16) Government Dispensary, Radhanagari.

(17) Government Dispensary, Vadgaon.

(18) Government Dispensary, Gaganbavada.

(19) Mobile Dispensary, District Kolhapur.

(20) Police Hospital, Sambre.

(21) D. L. B. Dispensary, Chandgad.

(22) K. E. M. Municipal Hospital and Maternity Home Ichalkaranji.

There are no Ayurvedic Dispensaries under the control of the Civil Surgeon, Kolhapur.

There are now six Subsidised Medical Practitioners Centres working in this district. (1) Akkiwat (2) Ganehwadi (3) Here (4) Kowad (5) Halkarni and (6) Ghotagewadi.

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