The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Thousands of tribal patients attend mega health camp

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Monday, Nov 19, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Thousands of tribal patients attend mega health camp

Staff Reporter

Focus of the health mission is on the girl child, says District Collector

Administration spending Rs. 13 cr. on mother and child health every year
16 RTC and two private buses were engaged for bringing the patients to the camp

BHADRACHALAM: The infant mortality rate in the tribal pockets of the district is still in the unacceptable range and a lot needs to be done to bring it down further, according to the District Collector, Sashibushan Kumar. Speaking at a mega health camp organised in the temple town under the National Rural Health Mission on Sunday, he said that the infant mortality rate should be brought down to less than 20 per 1000 live births. It required sustained effort and thorough monitoring of the maternity case at all levels.

The Collector said that the focus of the health mission was very much on the girl child.

The administration had been spending Rs 13 crores on the child and mother health every year. A planned approach would help yield better results in the programme, some 400 to 500 children with heart diseases were identified and the medical help in every case would be followed up and if necessary surgeries would be recommended. He emphasized the need for creating more awareness among he tribal communities on health.

Inaugurating the three-day camp, the Bhadrachalam MP, Midum Babu Rao said that the response to the camp was quite overwhelming. He wanted health to be given top priority in case of the tribal communities which were quite vulnerable for diseases. Some 5000 people, both young and old, had a health checkup at the camp on the first day.

He said some 16 RTC and two private bsues were engaged for bringing the patients to the camp from far flung areas in Bhadrachalam parliamentary constituency. As many as 27 auto-rickshaws were engaged to reach out and mobilize patients from the tribal habitations.

The patients would be given free treatment as well as free medicines. The administration would take care of their transportation back home.

The patients in need of surgery would be referred to the district headquarters hospital and other super specialities if required.

Some 47 doctors from the government hospitals, 15 doctors from the IMA, 10 doctors from the Mamata hospital and specialist from different other institutes in the state were among those who extended their free services at the camp.

Another 137 paramedical staff and 150 others from the nursing colleges and sores of volunteers representing the various non-governmental organisations operating in the tribal pockets took part in the health camp.

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