National Human Rights Commission raps govt over poor health services in tribal areas

Vizianagaram: The notices served by the National Human Rights Commission on the state government has forced the bureaucrats to enhance the medical facilities and improve road conditions in tribal areas.

Recently, Ginde, a pregnant woman of Sirivara village in Padam panchayat of Salur mandal, was carried by a doli and reached the Salur hospital after travelling for eight hours through hills and streams. But due to ill health and anemia, she was brought to the hospital in a critical condition and gave birth to stillborn.

This news went viral and the NHRC also reacted by directing the state government to improve the medical facilities and take measures to curb such incidents in future.

Generally, the medical and health staff, who are working in Parvathipuram division, are irregular in their duties and even skipping from the PHCs without prior intimation. As a result, the ANMs, nurses and other paramedical staff are required to take care of the patients in Kurupam, GL Puram, Giyammavalasa, Pachipenta and Makkuva mandals.

As a result, the patients especially pregnant, are forced to move either to Parvathipuram, which is 50 km from there, and they are directed to go to Vizianagaram which is 140 km. Now, the district administration became alert and directed the medical officers not to skip duty and it won’t tolerate irregularities in duties.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Thursday, K Ramana of Kurupam said: “The health services in this area are very poor and we don’t have another option than moving to Parvathipuram for better services. I came here for treatment of my son as there are no such facilities like laboratories”.

G Lakshmisa, ITDA project officer, instructed the medical and health staff to be sincere and not to leave their work places without intimation. “We intensified the monitoring system of medical staff and directed them to visit the villages regularly and observe the conditions there.

Even we will inspect the PHCs and take action against the staff, if they were found to be irregular. We will release funds to lay roads for better transport connectivity. We have some motorcycle ambulances to serve in agency areas but now we will take more care on the health of the public. Even we will improve the drinking water facility in those villages”, he said.