The government is planning a comprehensive action plan for the welfare of the tribal population, with the cooperation of the Health, Social Justice, and Tribal Welfare Departments and by mobilising resources from various quarters so that issues of housing, drinking water, transportation, education, and livelihood can also be addressed
The Aardram Tribal Mission proposes to focus on maternal and child health, reduction of maternal and infant deaths, nutrition for adolescent tribal girls, awareness programmes against tobacco and alcohol amongst tribal people, and early detection of diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, and various kinds of cancers and mental illnesses among the tribal people.
Apart from strengthening the existing health care delivery services in the tribal belt, the mission also envisages implementing a project, Oorumithram, which will first be piloted in selected tribal colonies in Wayanad, Idukki, and Kannur, and then be extended to the Attappady region in Palakkad later.
Training
Under the project, educated women from among the tribal community will be selected from backward tribal colonies and trained in delivering basic maternal and child care. Since these woman are well-versed with the culture and practices of the tribes, they would be better equipped to deliver health messages and encourage people for activities such as immunisation and report the same to the Health Department.
The Oorumithram ASHAs (accredited social health activists) main task will be to deliver appropriate health messages to tribal families and offer them all support. A group of women have already been given expert training to perform the role.
The Health Department is organising a workshop in the capital city on June 13 and 14 to finalise the action plan and to invite suggestions from health experts and other departments.
