NAGPUR, Jan 2: Having been through with their immediate worry of curbing malnutrition deaths in Melghat, state authorities have a breather to take a closer look at the long-term development measures planned for the tribal belt located in the south of Tapti river in Amravati district.The indication can be drawn from the Public Health Department's plan to build a 30-bed hospital at Churni in Chikhaldara tehsil and undertake an expansion project at the Rural Hospital in Dharni.
The breather, till next monsoon, provides the authorities an opportunity to commission a detailed study on the lifestyle, the socio-cultural and economic aspects of the Korku tribals in the region.
The age-old customs like early marriage, lack of awareness and apathy towards birth-control methods, an unstinted faith in superstition invariably leading the tribals against availing medical and health care facilities provided by state agencies, reluctance among the menfolk to utilise the employment avenues extended by various state
departments, illiteracy and indifference towards the growth of their children are some aspects of their lifestyle.
A first-time visitor to Melghat gets an impression about these aspects rather than any other factor, including the perceived apathy of the state machinery.
In fact, these aspects form the core issue that has been confined to the backstage ever since the alliance government undertook fire-fighting measures after facing severe flak for an all-time high death figure of 1050 between April 1996 and March 1997. The number of deaths went up from 814 in 1994-95 to 931 in 1995-96 and crossed the 1,000 mark the following year.
The thrust of the Melghat action plan, unveiled by Maharashtra Minister for Public Health Dr Daulatrao Aher, was on undertaking a survey to identify expectant mothers and children in the third or fourth stages of malnutrition; providing doles to expecting mothers as an incentive to make them avail of health care facilities; and taking medical aid to the doorsteps of the tribals
who are reluctant to go to hospitals or primary health centres.
Besides undertaking a sustained awareness drive through local volunteers (pada swayamsevaks) and activists of Non-Governmental Organisations, the state also constituted three-member panels at village-levels as directed by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, to monitor various measures of the government.
Sadly these measures could never be put to the real test due to lack of rains. Melghat, which is otherwise famous for frequent spells of incessant rains, had comparatively lesser rains during the 1997 monsoon, thereby causing less trouble to authorities and workers implementing the action plan.
For the time being, the authorities have fewer things to worry about as they are in a position to devoting time towards concrete measures and identifying loopholes in existing ones.
The doles, provided to expectant mothers for availing medical facilities, have been mistaken for an incentive for producing more children, prompting many to evade
birth control measures.
``We would prefer having more food instead of money,'' says Chamelibai while pointing out that money becomes a cause of altercation between couples. The health department is now thinking in terms of modifying the incentive scheme by linking it with family planning measures.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
