A study conducted in the tribal belt of Kuttampuzha by the Health Department and the district unit of the National Health Mission (NHM) has identified alcoholism, lack of access to health care services, tobacco use, nutritional problems, unsafe drinking water, and poor sanitation as key problem areas.
This is, perhaps, for the first time that a detailed study on people’s lives in the tribal belt of the district has been scientifically done, said NHM district manager Dr. Mathews Numpelil.
The study revealed that while alcoholism and domestic violence were issues of prime concern, the people of tribal hamlets stayed away from seeking healthcare services owing to the distances to be travelled and expenses involved in reaching primary health care services.
Though there is no hunger in the hamlets, the food intake lacks nutrition as the diet includes only rice which is available through the Public Distribution System. There is little consumption of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, egg, or milk, the study said. Other commodities like lentil, spices, and salt are available at the SupplyCo store, which is far away. And, people use the facility less frequently.
It was also found that 86.3% of the population were anaemic. Among women, 95.9% had anaemia.
The incomes of most families are from unskilled labour and forest resources like honey, herbs, bamboo, and rubber plantation. A major expense is for health care services, for which they shell out nearly ₹500 for a trip to the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC). While, the government offers reimbursement to tribal population for treatment expenses, it is not properly executed. Bureaucratic hurdles apart, there are instances of people pocketing the money for alcohol abuse, said Dr. Rakesh P.S. of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, who was associated with the study. Water scarcity is severe. Most resources start drying up by February. While there is little awareness about communicable and non-communicable diseases, the womenfolk are aware of the need for breast feeding of infants for the first six months.
Incidentally, the cultural practices during mensuration and post-natal periods make many women take to oral contraceptives frequently. It was found that while youngsters had evolved a new culture of taking oral pills to avoid being into what is known as ‘Valayma Kudi’, they did not want to go easy on traditions. It shows that an intervention could be possible by educated people in the hamlets, said Dr. Numpelil.
The study also found that alcoholism was not prevalent among the older generation. Moreover, they are worried about youngsters taking to alcohol. Here too there is perhaps an opening for intervention, he added.
The disease graph in the region needs to be mapped in another study, said Dr. Rakesh. Blood tests conducted on a few pointed to the emergence of non-communicable diseases in the region, he added.
