Welfare Problems In Rural India (Paperback)

WELFARE PROBLEMS RURAL INDIA BY A. P. ILLA O. B. E., M. B. B. H. FOREWORD BY J. NORMAN WALKER M. R. C. P. LONDON D. T. M. H. CAMB, Director, Medical Sanitation Department, H. E. . the Nizams Government INTRODUCTION BY M. I. BALFOUR C. B. K., M. B. BOMBAY D. B. TARAPOREVALA SONS Co. KITAB MAHAL, HOKNBY ROAD A Typical Village Hut TO FOREWORD This book will be welcomed as a companion to Maternity and Child Welfare published by Dr. Pillay and Dr. Subramanyam in 1928. Dr. Pillays qualifications for his difficult task are well known. For many years he has devoted much thought and hard work to welfare organisation. The centres working under his personal guidance are not only models in system but have developed real practical success. Various activities in the interest of mother and child, embraced in the term Welfare Work, have received much attention and encouragement in the last few years. As far as the larger cities in India are concerned creditable progress has been made. Interest in the claim of the rural areas has only recently been aroused. This volume should do much to encourage and quicken those who are not insensitive to the silent appeal of the village. The difficulties are formidable not only welfare work but almost all measures calculated to prevent disease, have in the past made little appeal to authorities in charge of rural administration. Medical science for centuries limited its activities to curative measures only, and the people aro fatalistic. It is rare that local boards, even in spite of generous financial assistance from central authorities, will vote money for the prevention of conditions which they regard as inevitable. Education in health matters is of primaryimportance and the chapter on propaganda work in this volume is of special value. The dai and her efficient training constitute a problem of the greatest difficulty. Dr. Pillay rightly recognises that the dai cannot be ousted and must bo improved. The scheme for the training and supervision of village dais may bo commended to the growing numbers of those enthusiastic for village uplift. There is much in this book which should awaken a social conscience in the smaller municipalities and among village authorities. With the creation of a demand for better sanitary service and a reasonable standard of training of dais, many welfare problems become capable of solution. The book is commended to all who have the interests of India at heart. J. NORMAN WALKER Hyderabad-Deccan, M. R. C. P. London, D. T. M. . H. Camb, 21st January 1931. Director, Medical Sanitation Department H. E. H. the Nizams Government. INTRODUCTION Maternity and Child Welfare is generally recognised as one of the most important developments of the last fifteen years in India. Public interest has been awakened and the movement has spread into every Province. People aro beginning to recognise that the object is not to increase the birth-rate, perhaps not even to diminish directly the infant death-rate, but to secure the birth and development of a healthier race of children. Modern research is beginning to show us that much of the infantile death-rate is due to feebleness at birth, and that the feebleness at birth may be due to malnutrition of the parents, to lack of care of the expectant mother or to obscure diseases which attack her during pregnancy. The remedy of this state of things is study of nutritional problems, especially in connection with pregnancy, supervision and instruction of mothers during pregnancy by trained Health Visitors, trained dais during childbirth and a sufficiency of medical men and women to supervise and check the work of the dais and Health Visitors. In the large towns of India, material for this is in our hands and it only remains for experts and organisers to direct the workers so that the best possible results may be obtained. But in village India the matter is very different...