The health officials on Sunday reviewed the ongoing programmes implemented for the welfare of tribal people residing in the villages around Anaikatti in Coimbatore district, and also gave a patient hearing to their requirements.
The heads of several villages in the region were invited to take part in the review meeting held at the Periyanaickenpalayam Panchayat Union Middle School at Kondanur Village.
The initiatives discussed include the tribal outreach programme, under which non-governmental organisations (NGO) were given funds to conduct regular medical camps in the remote tribal settlements, and the bed grants programme, under which hospitals will be reimbursed the costs.
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Addressing the meeting, S. Gunasekaran, Deputy Director (Tribal Welfare), Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP), said that the objective of these initiatives was to make up for the shortfall of health facilities in hilly terrain when compared to the plains.
Mr. Gunasekaran appealed to the elders and the panchayat presidents to tackle the fear of injections and surgeries among the tribal community and make them utilise the government schemes to the full extent.
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Medical check-up
G. Elangovan, Joint Director of Medical and Rural Services, said that pregnant women must undergo regular medical check-ups.
The tribal people also should get treatment for diseases in the early stages and not delay until the condition became intolerable.
Besides asking them to boil their drinking water, Mr. Elangovan also urged the elders in tribal community to campaign against tobacco consumption.
M. Venkatesh, TNHSP District Coordinator, N. Palanisamy, ward councillor, C.L. Mohan Naarayan, vice president of G.K.D. Charity Trust, which is implementing the tribal outreach programme, S.R. Subramanian, medical superintendent, Swami Dayananda-Jayavarthanavelu Tribal Rural Hospital, also took part in the programme and interacted with the tribal people.