By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Kozhikode: The death of a teenager due to malnutrition in Attappady, the largest Adivasi settlement in Kerala, has once again exposed the lack of an effective mechanism to ensure proper nutrition for children at various hamlets in the Adivasi settlement. Manikandan, a student of class 8 at the Government Tribal Higher Secondary School in Sholayur who was not provided with proper treatment, died last week due to anaemia.
A report prepared by the health workers soon after the incident, says that over 3,000 Adivasi children in the hamlet are anaemic and there is a need for immediate and effective steps to address the nutrition issues.
Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja Visiting Attappady
To add to this, a health checkup camp organised recently by the Health Department at Sholayur Tribal Higher Secondary School found that 110 students of the school were suffering from severe anaemia. According to the figures with the department, a total of 567 students were screened during the two day camp.
“The death of this child in only the latest in a series of incidents; they are vulnerable to anaemia as their mothers are denied nutritious food during pregnancy,” said Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha leader M Geethanandan.
In 2013, s study initiated by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, had found that 49 per cent of the Adivasi children in Attapadi hamlets were suffering from malnutrition.
Doctors here say that anaemia cases are reported due to malnutrition or nutrition deficiency in the food, taken by the tribes people.
“The Adivasis have lost their land, where they can farm and produce their food due to encroachments from outsiders. Adivasis are abstaining from agriculture due to the less availability of land. This is the root cause of the crisis. Now, people here are given some rice and vegetables which are inadequate to provide sufficient nutrition,” Geethanandan said.
The AGMS leader alleged that the community kitchen programme, aimed at addressing the malnutrition among pregnant women, had failed to bring results. A few of the 197 community kitchens had shut down, denying food to the Adivasis.
On Thursday, worms were found in wheat sacks which were brought to the community kitchens here.
He wondered that how the government was carelessly dealing with the health issues of Adivasi people. “It’s high time Attappady needs a mechanism to address the malnutrition, being faced by the newborns and children here,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a response to the incidents, Health Minister K K Shailaja visited Attappady on Wednesday and reviewed the arrangements here. The minister asked the officials of Tribal Welfare and Health departments to take immediate steps to prevent deaths due to the failing health of pregnant Adivasi mothers. The minister said that community kitchens that have been closed would be reopened soon.
She asked the officials of the Health Department to ensure that the nutritious food being distributed through the anganwadis maintained the necessary quality standards. “Scanning facilities will be implemented at main hospitals so that stillborn cases can be detected before the delivery. Health Department officials must hold review meetings once in three months,” she said.