By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net,
Kozhikode: Amidst concerns about the ill-health and malnutrition among tribal children, one more infant died at Attappady in Palakkd district. With the death of this one-day-old boy, the toll of the infants who died since January has touched 16 in Attappady, one of the largest tribal settlements in Kerala.
The infant, born in Pudur village panchayat, was suffering from ailments due to malnutrition and died at a hospital in Thrissur, health officials said on Wednesday.
The underweight child was first admitted to a tribal super specialty hospital here but was later shifted to a Medical College in Thrissur for better medical care, they said. The infant in Kottamala settlement in Sholayur near here had died at a hospital in Coimbatore yesterday.
Last year, a total of 73 children, including newborns, had died in Attappady due to malnutrition and other reasons.
Though central and state governments have initiated many relief packages for the well-being of inhabitants here, increasing child deaths remains a major concern in the region.