38

    The Madras Government pay a subsidy of Rs. 300—400 per annum
to midwives who visit pregnant women at their houses and attend on
labour cases in rural areas. For attending on labour cases outside their
villages, i.e., more than one mile, they are paid for by the Taluk Board
Re. 1 for every non-paying case of labour.

    Sir Frank Connor, in his note on the Madras Medical Department has
noted as follows:—

    "One of the most useful measures of medical relief adopted by Govern-
ment during recent years is the scheme promulgated in their order No.
1522 P. H., dated 27th October, 1924. There are about 447 such subsidis-
ed dispensaries working in this Presidency at present. The Surgeon
General has recommended further extension of this system and has for-
warded to Government a list of places in rural areas in which medical aid
is urgently required. It is hoped that funds will soon be available to
open dispensaries in these areas and also for those rural dispensaries
which have been sanctioned, but to which medical practitioners have not
as yet been appointed."

    11.Bombay.—In 1936 the local Government introduced a scheme for
subsidising allopathic medical practitioners in certain selected districts on
the condition that they practise in rural areas. It has recently been decided
to extend this scheme so as to have about 200 centres and to subsidise, for
some of the new centres to be opened, Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners.
who may get themselves registered under the new legislation to be enacted
for the registration of practitioners of the Indian systems of medicine.
Under the scheme each allopathic subsidised practitioner will ordinarily
be in charge of three or four villages easily accessible by road, or rail
and will visit them on definite days of the week. He will receive Rs. 50
a month plus a fixed travelling allowance of Rs. 25 p.m., in addition to
an annual grant of Rs. 350 for medicines and instruments. The Ayurvedic
and Unani practitioners will receive Rs.30 p.m. each plus a fixed travelling
allowance of Rs. 15 p.m. each and an annual allotment of Rs.150 for
medicines. The Surgeon General will submit detailed proposals to the
Government of Bombay in regard to the opening of the 200 new centres
after consulting the District Local Boards, who have to bear one-fifth of
the cost, the remaining four-fifths being borne by the Government. The
ultimate annual cost of the proposals indicated above is estimated to be
Rs. 1,63,500.

    As part of the programme of medical relief in rural areas the local
Government has also introduced a scheme providing for an increase in
the number of qualified nurses and midwives attached to local board dis-
pensaries. Under this scheme Government pays each district local board
in the Presidency, excepting the Bombay Suburban District Local Board,
a subsidy equivalent to 33⅓ per cent. of the cost of nurses or midwives
actually maintained, subjected to a maximum of 3,in addition to those
who were already in employment at the time of the introduction of the
scheme. Each nurse or midwife employed under the scheme receives
Rs. 50 p.m. as pay plus a house rent allowance of Rs. 10 p.m.