but modern advances mean we now have the scientific and public health
solutions. However, the conditions which enable cholera to be spread -
lack of knowledge, poverty and social inequity - also need to be
challenged-Ronald Waldman WHO,
One very important issue which Dr. Waldman and any medical
practitioner may tend to agree that, cholera or diarrhea is a sheer
outcome of poverty, inequity and a state of denial of access to basic
services. The 40 diarrheal deaths in Lanjigarh in Kalahandi or
hundreds of death in the past in Kashipur, Thuamularampur and
Dasmantpur have been the result of several known factors and
conditions like contaminated water and food made of toxic mango kernel
and consumption of dead animal meat etc,. Part of KBK region become
famous for gastro, Anthrax, cholera and malaria deaths which is bit
less political and controversial for the administration to handle than
the starvation deaths which used to make national news sometime back.
However, simply one can't rule out the invisible Hunger which I feel
is the single most factor for all human-made spates of cholera,
diarrhea and other epidemic in the region. Those who know the region
well will agree-normally rainy days are the lean interlude in the food
and employment seasonality of tribals creating a crisis like
situation. During rainy days, tribal living in hilly terrains don't
have access to gainful employment to meet his/her food and other basic
requirements nor find any traditional forest food e.g. tubers and wild
roots which is essential ingredient of tribal food security. Mango
kernel as food supplement of tribal has been in practice since ages to
cope up the rainy day hunger in most part of undivided Koraput and
Kalahandi and in the past has lead to gastro related complications and
deaths. The health workers who generally stays at the panchayt
headquarters finds difficult to move to the remote villages or arrange
emergency medical health. While the ill-equipped administration stays
busy in countering and firefighting the diarrhea and cholera deaths,
the post monsoon season brings in malaria as killer epidemic to the
region. Even a cursory observation of the situation may suggest that
diarrhea and malaria are the major contributory factors of deaths in
the tribal area, which mainly occurs during the pre and post monsoon
season.
Predominantly, outbreak of cholera has been customarily reported from
Dasmanthpur, kashipur, Laxmipur, Thuamulrampur, Lanjigarh blocks
which are contiguously located. Within these blocks there are well
identified villages and Panchayats which are inaccessible, remote and
mostly get cut off during rain. In the past ten years, cyclic
diarrheal deaths have been reported from one or other villages located
in these districts.
Generally, the district administrations of these districts hold
natural calamity meeting prior to the onset of monsoon. The meeting
prepares usual contigent plan to tackle untimely and heavy rain which
creates havoc in the districts. However, I am not sure whether the
calamity meeting also discuss, identify, map and spot the most
vulnerable panchayats not having potable drinking water, road
communication, make a reality check on referral services available
Anganwadis, PHCs, CHCs and district hospital. The district
administration are supposed to have records, cases, data, mapping of
the area and frequency of such disaster occurred in past. The water
resource and PWD wings at the district should be having the list of
villages which lack potable water sources, or information on the
number of workable and defunct tube wells in every villages etc.
Needless to say that the tribal welfare department, Civil supplies
department and DRDA should know the status of implementation wage
employment and food scheme during rainy day or should be having some
plan and strategy to implement and continue employment generation and
food schemes in monsoon to curtail hunger and destitutions. Similarly,
the state under its disaster management or relief wings should have
proactive measures, adequate preventive action and timely intervention
to address these situations for which precious lives can be protected.
I remember, few years back when the starvation deaths were reported
from these regions, the state government issued an official communiqué
making the Sarpanch of the panchayat accountable for any kind of
starvation death reported from its jurisdiction. (It's in fact easy to
get Sarpach being accountable for everything as s/he is the softest
target!) But, despite hundreds of people dying due to diarrhea and
cholera; none has been held accountable for the utter apathy and
in-efficiency at the official level leading to such deaths. Moreover,
one of key focus of the KBK LTAP is to improve the basic health
delivery system in the region. However, preparedness of the
administration in terms of effective implementation of food and
employment generation schemes, drinking water, health services is
conspicuously missing in addressing hunger and diseases in KBK
regions.
In the 21st century when the human-kind boost modern scientific
innovation on health and disaster management, the people in (rather
infamous) KBK region are dying preventable deaths. This is a great
shame for the modern civilization to witness the genocide of tribal
which is going on silently in this underdeveloped region.
===================
Umi Daniel
M2/315, Satyasai Enclave
Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar
Mob: 9937019196
visit my blog: http://orissamigration.blogspot.com/
--
Ch.Santakar
Pujariput
Koraput-764020
Orissa
Mob:09437192553
e-mail:santakar@gmail.com
web:www.koraputonline.com
