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in Tamil Nadu
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Malnutrition deaths haunt Attappady infants
The appalling Nepalese Flesh Trade in India
Eco-friendly agrarian revolution of forest primitives enticing world markets
Tuberculosis deaths haunt Attappady infants
Tuberculosis deaths haunt Attappady infants

Reji Joseph

  Kottayam: Death on account of Tuberculosis and malnutrition continues to haunt the tribal hamlet of the remote tribal regions Attapady hills, in Palakkad of Northern Kerala. Over the last 15 months as many as hundred more infants have reportedly died here, allegedly due to malnutrition. It was found that most of the babies and mothers were infected TB too. Lack of proper treatment and medicines are the major reasons behind the vast spread of TB in Attappady hills. The Attappady tribes have already been marginalised and if these serious health problems are not tackled on a war footing there is a probability of them becoming extinct in the long run.

These secluded tribal live in small, remote hamlets built inside the forests. They have no land, agriculture or labour. Moreover, these hapless folk have no drinking water, roads or electricity. The men and women earned their livelihood by collecting honey and products of wild trees and crops. There is no separate TB treatment ward in any of the Government Hospitals in Palakkadu district. Many of the tribal families are seeking treatment at Coimbatore and Pollachi in Tamil Nadu State, traveling 40 kilometers through the mud roads far away from their settlement. The ASHA health volunteers of the colonies informed that the interaction of the kids studying in the Anganwady care centers, which were unhygienic would be a major cause behind the spread of Tuberculosis. Within the last six months, 12 tribal kids died of Tuberculosis and poverty in the tribal colonies of North Kadampara, South Kadampara, Nellippathy and Paloor. Even after the sad death of the kids, the State Health Deparment doesnt take any necessary action for securing the adivasi welfare.

The 827 square km Attappadi Reserve Forest is an informal buffer zone which is situated in the Northern side of Palakkadu district. Irular, Mudugar and Kattunaika primitives are the dominant tribal people living in the remote area. It is clear that 80 percent of the settlers are facing shortage of nutricious food, pure drinking water and proper sanitation facilities. Due to the unhygienic situation Tuberculosis is alarmingly spreading in the adjacent huts. As per the tribal welfare department the state government is spending 110 crores for securing the welfare of the tribals. But the fact is that the government officials and intermediaries are misusing these huge funds for their own welfare. The noon meals programme started in the Anganwadies were also an utter failure.

It is clear that 55-66 per cent children in this area did not have access supplementary nutrition programmes being implemented under the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) of the Social Welfare Department. “Sickle Cell Anemia, Tuberculosis and Thalassaemmia are rampant among this tribal population. Recently three children were admitted for pre-mature birth at our hospital,” said Dr Rajesh, Chief Medical Officer of the Kottathara Tribal Specialty Hospital. “We are planning to distribute food prepared by Kudumbasree, a women’s voluntary organization at health camps. Some did not like the flavours of the food supplements distributed to pregnant woman and children through the health centers earlier. So we will be changing the flavours,” said District Medical Officer, Dr. Venugopal. The government was only announcing special packages from time to time and holding meetings of officials occasionally. Nothing beneficial has come about as a result of this.

The death of tribal infants came out in a survey conducted by the primary health centre in three village panchayats of Attappady. Of the 16 infants that died, 11 were born underweight. Others who were born with normal weight, soon lost weight and died. One of the infants had weighed only 650 grams at the time of birth. A recent survey conducted by the Tribal Welfare Department in the tribal hamlets of Puthur colony, found that 300 tribals had been affected by malnutrition and 200 of them were children. Another study conducted by Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission, identified 429 cases of Anemia among tribal children in Attappady. Meanwhile, a sample survey conducted by the Health Department in 50 tribal hamlets out of the 176 in the three Grama Panchayats of Agali, Pudur and Sholayir of Attappady found that 520 infants there were affected by Anemia and Tuberculosis.

In spite of all this, no visible steps have been taken by the government to provide essentially needed medical assistance and food to these deprived tribal children from malnourishment and Tuberculosis.

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