Prevention of Adulteration of Foodstuffs
For
some decades past, the adulteration of foodstuffs has become a major problem.
Even by the thirties, the position became so acute that an enactment to this
effect became necessary. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954,
replaced the Act, passed in 1929. This was modified in 1964. Under the Act,
samples are taken and sent to a chemical laboratory for analysis. The persons,
whose samples are not found up to the mark, are challenged.
It
has not been possible to make an appreciable progress in the field. The main
reason for this is the inadequacy of the executive staff. The meager staff is
unable to make effective progress in checking adulteration owing to
multifarious duties. The taking of samples of milk brought into the towns by
vendors, of sweetmeats from the shops of halwais, and of miscellaneous articles
from grocers shops is such a colossal job that the existing staff and the
available laboratory facilities can hardly cope with it.
The
work done under the Act is detailed in Appendix X on page 519.
(e) Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Besides Government medical services
available in the district, as detailed above, a few prominent private hospitals
in the district are: the lady Emerson Seth Chatarbhuj Maternity Hospital,
Amritsar; the Saint Mary’s Mission Hospital, Tarn Taran, and the Atma Singh
Janta Hospital, Bohroo. A brief reference to these hospitals is made below: -
(i)
Lady
Emerson-Seth Chatarbhuj Maternity Hospital, Amritsar – Established in 1937, it holds an
important position among the private hospitals in the district. It is meant for
women only. It is a charitable institution.
With free beds and paying wards, with all modern facilities in respect
of operation etc. There are 50 beds in all.
The building of the hospital
comprises an administrative block of a dispensary and an outdoor patients wing.
The special facilities available in the hospital for the patients include
diathermy, cauterization and antenatal treatment. Lady Health visitor and dais
get the practical training at the hospital. The hospital has also sufficient
accommodation for its staff.
The number of indoor and outdoor
patients, treated during the 1959-68 is given below:
Year
|
Number of Indoor patients |
Number of Outdoor patients |
|
1959 |
13,810 |
33,808 |
|
1960 |
13,171 |
37,128 |
|
1961 |
14,016 |
42,273 |
|
1962 |
12,762 |
33,929 |
|
1963 |
11,639 |
36,199 |
|
1964 |
14,778 |
31,176 |
|
1965 |
26,176 |
12,376 |
|
1966 |
12,636 |
29,813 |
|
1967 |
11,002 |
27,083 |
|
1968 |
12,816 |
29,475 |
(ii)
Saint
Mary’s Mission Hospital, Tarn Taran: - This maternity hospital is run by the mission
trust. Its present building, comprising maternity ward, medical ward, surgical
ward and outdoor patient clinic, was constructed in 1950. The Hospital has 50
beds and is manned by lady Doctor, two Sisters, two Auxiliary Nurses, one
trained dai, beside a number of under trained Staff Nurses.
The number of indoor and outdoor
patients attended to in the Hospital, during 1962-68 as under: -
Year
|
Number of Indoor patients |
Number of Outdoor patients |
|
1962 |
972 |
4061 |
|
1963 |
931 |
4652 |
|
1964 |
915 |
4473 |
|
1965 |
1122 |
4452 |
|
1966 |
1123 |
4928 |
|
1967 |
1252 |
5284 |
|
1968 |
1495 |
5955 |
(iii) Atma Singh
Janta Hospital, Bohroo: - It was established in 19554 with the joint efforts of Shri Atma Singh
and Captain Aishi Lal (Dr) a Bohroo on the Amritsar-Jhabal Road. The Hospital
has a Doctor, a Dispenser and a trained Dai, beside some other staff. It has 12
beds. Necessary utensils are also provided for the patients on nominal charges.
The hospital functions
with public donations. The numbers of indoor and outdoor patients, treated
during 1958-68 are as under:
|
Year |
Number of Indoor patients |
Number of Outdoor patients |
|
1958 |
101 |
14072 |
|
1959 |
156 |
15750 |
|
1960 |
121 |
16291 |
|
1961 |
148 |
17538 |
|
1962 |
156 |
9332 |
|
1963 |
235 |
12098 |
|
1964 |
234 |
8370 |
|
1965 |
195 |
8814 |
|
1966 |
211 |
9200 |
|
1967 |
170 |
7747 |
|
1968 |
220 |
8001 |
(iii)
Lepers
Home Tarn Taran: - The
Lepers home or leprosarium is one kilometer and a half from the Tarn Taran
town. The importance of Tarn Taran for the cure of lapis is associated with the
Fifth Guru, Arjan dev. The tank at tarn Taran was constructed through the
efforts of Guru in 1590 and is popularly believed to cure leprosy. The town has
throughout been a resort of the lepers who flocked to this place in large
numbers, and formed in the town a colony called “ Mohalla Zazamian”.
The present asylum, situated outside
the town, was established in 1858. It was maintained with Municipal funds and
with the cost received from the respective districts to which the lepers
belonged. In 1903, the maintenance and the control of the asylum were passed
out to the Mission of Lepers, London. It is now called Leprosy Hospital and
Home, Tarn Taran. It has 230 beds. At present, there is one Leprosy Specialist
and 4 Nurses, besides some other allied staff. The asylum remained under the
charge of Rev, Canon Dr. A.P. Dass from 1909 to 1961. Near the asylum, a colony
for recovered cases and their descendants has come into existence.
Martha David Home
Close to the asylum is a separate home for the untainted children
of the patients; and is known as the Martha David Home. It has 60 seats. Here
the children are kept separate from their parents. They are provided with
necessary facilities fort heir education. The mission maintains both the Asylum
and the home.
(iv)
Central
Khalsa Hospital, Tarn Taran: - Started in 1915, the hospital is run by the Chief Khalsa Diwan. It
is situated outside the Tarn Taran town on the Jandiaal-Tarn Taran Road. A
Doctor, and two Disensers, besides other miscellaneous and allied staff, mans
it. It is a 30- bed hospital. X-Ray facility is also available. About 1000
indoor patients and 15000 outdoor patients are treated every year.
The Chief Khalsa Diwan also runs a Homeopathic Dispensary at Amritsar near the rego Bridge. A Doctor and two Dispensers man it. A good number of patients are treated here also.
(f) Medical and Public Health Educational
Institutions
The
following medical and public health educational institutions functions in the
District
Medical College, Amritsar: - The college was originally named the
Medical School, Lahore, when it was opened in Lahore in 1864. In 1920, it was
transferred to Amritsar. This school awarded the M.P.L diploma up to 1918, when
the Punjab State Medical Faculty was constituted and the diploma was renamed
L.S.M.F.
In
1938, a new diploma was introduced and was called the L.M.S. The minimum
standard for admission was raised to F.Sc. (Medical). This has now been
prescribed as a pre-medical course. The duration of the medical course has been
raised to five years and the syllabus and courses of study have been brought
into line with those for the M.B. S. degree. In 1943, the status of the school
was raised to that of a college.
The
college is housed in a nice building situated between the Majitha Road and the
Circular Road. The Building was constructed in 1929 and further additions were
made in 1957.
The
clinical training is given at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital and its ancillary
units, viz. the Government Hospital for Women and the Ram lal Eye and E.N.T
Hospital, the Sri Gujjar Mal Kesra devi Tuberculosis Sanatorium, the Kotu Mal
Kesar Devi Infirmary and the Rai Bhadur Rattan Chand Thapar T.B. Clinic.
Affiliated
to the Guru Nanak Dev University, the college runs the following courses of
study:
|
Sr. No. |
Name of the Course |
Number of
Seats |
|
1. |
M.B.B.S |
750 |
|
2. |
Diploma in Pharmacy (Diploma Pharmacy and Dresser’s Course) |
150 |
|
3. |
B.Sc. (Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry) |
20 |
|
4. |
D.OM.S. (Diploma in Ophthalmic medicine and Surgery) |
12 |
|
5. |
D.M.R. (Diploma in Medical Radiology) |
4 |
|
6. |
D.C.P. (Diploma in Clinical Pathology) |
8 |
|
7. |
D.C.H. (Diploma in Child Health) |
10 |
|
8. |
D.G.O. (Diploma in Gynecology and Obstetrics) |
6 |
|
9. |
D.D.V.D. (Diploma in Dermatology and Venereal Diseases) |
6 |
|
10. |
D.L.O (Diploma in Laryngologist and Otology) |
8 |
|
11. |
D.C.D (Diploma in Chest Diseases) |
10 |
|
12. |
D.A. (Diploma in Anesthesiology) |
8 |
|
13. |
Radiographers’ Course |
20 |
|
14. |
Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology |
10 |
|
15. |
M.D. & M.S. (Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery) |
No limit (25 students are generally admitted) |
There
are separate hostels for the accommodation of 252 men boarders. A new hostel
with 100 single-seated rooms has been completed. The students in senior classes
are provided with seats in the hostels. The women’s hostel provides
accommodation for 80 boarders. The college has very extensive playgrounds.
Punjab Government Dental College and
Hospital, Amritsar.—Started in 1960, the college is located opposite the
Company Gardens. Training for the B.D.S. course is given in this institution
which is provided with ultra-modern equipment. The number of seats is 30. The
indoor training facilities are available in the V.J. Hospital, Amritsar.
Hygiene and Vaccine Institute, Amritsar.—Two
courses are run by the institute, viz.
the Sanitary Inspectors’ Certificate Course, and the Vaccinators’ Training
Course, as per details given below :
(i)
Sanitary Inspector’s Course.—It forms a year’s course from
October to September. The minimum standard for admission is matriculation.
About 80 students are admitted.
(ii)
Vaccinator’s Course.—The course runs twice a year,
starting from April and October respectively and even more than twice,
depending upon the departmental requirements. One month’s theoretical training
and three months’ practical training are imparted. Students of both the sexes
are admitted to the institute. The minimum standard for admission is
matriculation.
Punjab Health School, Amritsar.—Run by the State Government under the administration
control of the Director, Health Services, Punjab, this school was started in
1954 for training Lady Health Visitors.
There are two admissions a year, in
April and in October. The minimum qualification for admission is matriculation.
It is a two-year course. Nearly 20 students are admitted in every session.
Practical training is imparted to the students in the local maternity
hospitals.
Nurses’ Course of Training.—For the training of nurses, a three-year course
has been started in the V.J. Hospital, Amritsar. The minimum qualification for
admission is matriculation. Only 40 students are admitted. The students are
required to stay in the hostel during the training period.
(h)
Public-Health and Sanitation in the
Urban Areas.—It may
be of interest to make a mention of the drainage system of the district. As a
religious capital under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors, Amritsar
received special attention. A wall at a cost of 14 lakhs of rupees was built
round the city which had alongside is a canal 120 yards wide, 9 yards deep and
5 miles (8 km.) long. After the occupation of the Punjab by the British in 149,
the work of filling the canal with debris was taken up. This process lasted
till 1890. The filling of the Bhabs
(depressions), however, continued till 1914.
There were central surface drains in
Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Patti, Khem Karan, Jandiala Guru, Majitha, Govindwal,
etc. This system was unsatisfactory as the pucca streets had stops in the
centre and from every house a short straight surface drain joined the central
surface drain. It was very difficult to move about in the streets during the
night and especially when the drains were overlooded. The situation was
particularly troublesome in Amritsar and Tarn Taran on account of heavy
traffic.
In
1902, the Municipal Committee, Amritsar, started the construction of side
surface drains and the central surface drains were closed and the level of the
streets was raised in the centre, with slopes on both sides, facilitating the
flow of water. This was certainly an improvement over the previous system. In
course of time, side surface drains were also introduced into Tarn Taran,
Jandiala Guru, Patti, Majitha, etc. This became a common feature in practically
all the towns after 1947.
The
side surface drains had their time. Of late, the underground drainage system
has become popular. It was introduced into Amritsar in 1951. This system has
also been completed in Majitha. Some important Government buildings in Tarn
Taran lso have underground drainage. It will, however, be long before other
towns in the district also introduced this system.
The
underground drainage system is of little avail unless there exists some
satisfactory arrangement for he disposal of the underground drainage water.
Presently, the Amritsar city is having both the systems, i.e. the side surface
drains and the underground drainage, side by side. Before the introduction of
the underground drainage system, the whole of the drainage water was brought
into an open drain, called the extramural drain, which had been running around
the walled city and then taken to the disposal tanks situated about a mile from
the city. At present (1970), the drainage water is connected with the
underground sewer in 90 per cent area of the city, and it is collected in the
disposal tanks at a distance of 1˝ km from the city. From there, the water is again
pumped into the sewerage and distributed for irrigating the fields. Side by
side, the night-soil from the areas, not covered under the underground drainage
system, is removed in refuse-carts, hand-carts, trucks and tractor trailers. In
streets where the refuse-carts cannot reach, batches of donkeys are engaged for
the removal of refuse, etc. Trailers are stationed at different places in the
city for emptying the hand-carts containing refuse and night-soil. This refuse
is composted in the dumping-ground. The annual auction of the compost exceeds
one lakh of rupees. The proper utilization of the drainage water doubly
benefits the municipality. It lessens the incidence of diseases in the city and
at the same time becomes a regular sources of income.
With
all the progress made in the field, the sanitary condition of the city
continues to be far from satisfactory. The night-soil remains dumped in the
streets at the collecting-points for the major part of the day and is a
nuisance to the passer-by and the residents. It becomes the breeding-place for
flies and mosquitoes. The solution of all these ills is the complete change to
the underground drainage system. Although the municipalities can impose by law
the introduction of this underground drainage system, yet the paucity of funds
and public reluctance to adopt it on economic grounds stand in its way.
(ii)
Rural Sanitation and Water-supply.—In the past, there was no regular
body in the villages to look after the health of the people. The cow-dung used
to lie in the open. Unpaved kachacha
drains in the villages also created nuisance. After 1930, F.L. Brayne,
Commissioner, Rural Reconstruction, Punjab, took up the village-improvement
programme. A disrict Dehat Sabha was organized from among the leading
personalities of the district, with the Deputy Commissioner as its President.
Competitions of good villages were held every year at the tahsil and district
levels and prizes were awarded to those which stood first and second. With this
incentive, a lot of masonry work of street pavement, pucca drainage,
improvement of drinking water-wells, ventilators, the digging of manure pits,
etc. were done in the villages. In the villages of Baba Bakala, Khalchian,
Khadur Sahib and Govindwal, double-barrel wheel hand-pumps were provided free
of cost by the Government on wells in the areas, where fairs were held. The
District Board, Amritsar, also allotted Rs.3,000 yearly for sanitation. This
practice continued up to 1942. Then, another scheme for the improvement of
drinking water-wells was introduced with 1/3 of
the cost as the village share and 2/3 as grant from the
Government. The Government share was about Rs 200 per well. The progress in
this field was, however, checked by the World War II.
The
partition of the country in 1947 worsened the position and the dilapidated
evacuee houses were used for dumping the rubbish. After the introduction of the
Community Development and National Extension Service, the concept of rural
reconstruction was revived. Streets were paved, covered wells were sunk and
manure pits were dug. Since the programme did not entail the element of
enforcement, development only took place in the areas where people’s
participation was forthcoming. The introduction of the Pancahyati Raj was
another impetus. The streets in big villages have been made pucca and
hand-pumps have been installed. The pavement of streets and the installation of
hand-pumps by themselves are no guarantee of cleanliness. The greatest hurdle
in this field is the absence of any regular conservancy staff. Unless the
panchayats employ conservancy staff on regular basis on the analogy of the
municipalities, the desired standard of sanitation cannot be maintained.
Rural Water-Supply.—There is not
shortage of drinking-water in the district. The water-level is quite shallow.
In the villages, the wells sand sunk in abundance and a fairly large number of
hand-pumps have also been installed.
APPENDIX I
(Vide page 484)
Birth-Rate, Death-Rate and Infantile Mortality-Rate in the Amritsar District, 1947—1968
Year (Calendar year) Birth-rate per
Death-rate per Infantile
Thousand thousand mortality-rate
Population population under 1 year
of age against
per thousand
live births
1947 31.00 19.90 184.00
1948 .. 32.59 17.51 130.00
1949 .. 16.29 13.45 157.00
1950 .. 26.23 16.77 189.03
1951 .. 35.84 15.85 121.42
1952 .. 39.93 15.08 115.73
1953 .. 39.56 16.76 129.81
1954 .. 39.94 13.37 120.84
1955 .. 40.85 12.68 115.45
1956 .. 40.85 12.94 124.83
1957 .. 34.16 11.95 105.09
1958 .. 34.12 11.54 104.92
1959 .. 33.21 10.08 95.08
1960 .. 33.89 11.13 104.76
1961 .. 37.98 11.67 97.42
1962 .. 35.86 11.63 87.49
1963 .. 32.23 9.67 88.45
1964 .. 32.54 11.01 92.49
1965 .. 30.62 8.83 69.21
1966 .. 29.02 8.43 69.21
1967 .. 28.45 8.07 72.04
1968 .. 28.80 7.58 64.38
(Source
: Chief Medical Officer, Amritsar)
APPENDIX II
(Vide page 485)
Death Registered According to Causes in the Amritsar District, 1951—1968
|
Year (Calendar
year) |
|
Cholera |
Small-pox |
Plague |
Fever |
Dysen-tery
and |
Respi-
ratory disease |
All
other causes |
Total |
|
1951 |
.. |
- |
2 |
- |
13,153 |
559 |
3,715 |
4,270 |
21,699 |
|
1952 |
.. |
1 |
39 |
- |
11,811 |
442 |
4,256 |
4,693 |
21,242 |
|
1953 |
.. |
- |
75 |
- |
14,407 |
453 |
3,668 |
5,222 |
24,120 |
|
1954 |
.. |
- |
15 |
- |
10,407 |
489 |
3,830 |
5,044 |
19,785 |
|
1955 |
.. |
- |
9 |
- |
9,458 |
423 |
3,620 |
5,818 |
19,328 |
|
1956 |
.. |
- |
2 |
- |
11,160 |
175 |
3,446 |
5,553 |
20,336 |
|
1957 |
.. |
- |
2 |
- |
10,250 |
462 |
3,412 |
4,965 |
19,091 |
|
1958 |
.. |
- |
4 |
- |
9,427 |
559 |
3,618 |
5,164 |
18,772 |
|
1959 |
.. |
- |
3 |
- |
8,499 |
333 |
3,279 |
4,753 |
16,867 |
|
1960 |
.. |
- |
6 |
- |
9,025 |
682 |
3,150 |
6,241 |
19,104 |
|
1961 |
.. |
- |
28 |
- |
6,737 |
738 |
3,140 |
7,412 |
18,056 |
|
1962 |
.. |
- |
16 |
- |
6,611 |
865 |
2,609 |
8,035 |
18,136 |
|
1963 |
.. |
- |
31 |
- |
6,781 |
562 |
1,776 |
6,122 |
15,270 |
|
1964 |
.. |
- |
3 |
- |
6,113 |
540 |
2,606 |
8,312 |
17,574 |
|
1965 |
.. |
- |
2 |
- |
5,806 |
651 |
1,952 |
5,852 |
14,263 |
|
1966 |
.. |
- |
1 |
- |
7,142 |
743 |
1,553 |
4,368 |
13,797 |
|
1967 |
.. |
- |
9 |
- |
6,672 |
804 |
1,580 |
4,196 |
13,378 |
|
1968 |
.. |
- |
1 |
- |
6,426 |
614 |
1,528 |
4,139 |
12,707 |
(Statistical
Abstract of District Amritsar, 1967, pp. 206-07;
Health Statistics, District Amritsar,
1969, p. 30; and Director, Health and Family Welfare, Chandigarh)
APPENDIX III
(Vide page 488)
Incidence
of Smallpox and the Preventive Measure Taken Against it in the
Amritsar District, 1947—1968
Year Number of Number of Primary
Revaccination
(Calendar year) cases deaths vaccination
1947 .. 1,000 348 40,589 2,17,576
1948 .. 722 272 38,035 2,39,750
1949 .. 24 12 49,773 84,341
1950 .. 126 16 42,876 69,959
1951 .. 24 2 52,921 75,526
1952 .. 217 39 57,878 2,48,760
1953 .. 350 83 57,912 2,82,780
1954 .. 67 15 55,293 1,06,703
1955 .. 42 9 51,705 1,27,653
1956 .. 12 2 66,115 1,60,338
1957 .. 18 2 60,669 1,65,567
1958 .. 18 4 62,158 2,93,682
1959 .. 26 3 62,190 2,35,512
1960 .. 35 6 57,962 1,74,443
1961 .. 109 28 58,259 2,50,034
1962 .. 165 16 60,691 4,43,475
1963 .. 179 31 82,259 9,27,625
1964 .. 6 3 48,834 2,98,768
1965 .. 14 2 62,199 1,33,529
1966 .. 40 1 60,776 1,19,623
1967 .. 206 9 75,217 4,68,337
1968 .. 3 1 74,112 3,34,260
(Statistical
Abstract of District Amritsar, 1967, pp. 206-07;
Health Statistics, District Amritsar,
1969, pp. 30, 35; and the Chief Medical Officer, Amritsar)
APPENDIX IV
(vide page 490)
List of Officers/Officials Delegated with Food Powers in the Amritsar District
1.
Chief
Medical Officer, Amritsar
2.
Deputy
Chief Medical Officer (Health), Amritsar
3.
Deputy
Chief Medical Officer (Medical), Amritsar
4.
Government
Food Inspector, Amritsar
5.
Senior
Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, Ajnala
6.
Medical
Officer, Civil Hospital, Tarn Taran
7.
Medical
Officer, Civil Dispensary, Patti
8.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Unit, Ramdas
9.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Unit, Sirhali Kalan
10.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Unit, Kairon
11.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Lopoke
12.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Gharyala
13.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Fatehabad
14.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Sur Singh
15.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Rajoke
16.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Jhabal
17.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Naushehra Pannuan
18.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Mianwind
19.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Baba Bakala
20.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre,Tarsikka
21.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre,Thiriewal
22.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Verka
23.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Kasel
24.
Medical
Officer, Primary Health Centre, Mananwala
25.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Khem Karan
26.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Sabhra
27.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Algon
28.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Mohleke
29.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Sarangdev
30.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Bhindi Aulakh
31.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Vachhoa
32.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Jasraur
33.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Jallalabad
34.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Butala
35.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Janian
36.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Chawinda Devi
37.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Sohal Thathi
38.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Asal Uttar
39.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Mari Mehga
40.
Medical
Officer, Rural Dispensary, Raja Sans
