Times of India: Nagpur: Monday, August 14, 2017.
Deaths
continue unabated in Amravati's Melghat region. In last five and half years,
over 3,800 deaths are recorded in the area comprising Dharni and Chikhaldara
towns with a combine population of over three lakh, according to data received
under RTI query by senior activist Abhay Kolarkar.
These deaths
are primarily due to starvation, despite claims of "best of efforts"
made by the successive governments in Maharashtra, led by Congress-NCP and
BJP-Shiv Sena in last six decades.
In first six
months of current year, about 103 lost their lives, including foetus (in womb),
infants (from zero-one year), children (one to six years) and mothers, the
reply by Amravati Zilla Parishad's administrative officer stated.
There is
severe shortage of medicos, including gynecologist, paediatrician and
anaesthesiologists in a majority of primary health centres and dispensaries,
thus making the matters worse for poor tribals living in most precarious
conditions. Even four out of 22 ambulances kept at various dispensaries are not
working for need of repairs.
Kolarkar
blamed miserable failure of the successive Congress and BJP governments in
state, which failed to stop the deaths of poor tribals due to malnutrition. He
charged the officials for misleading the Bombay High Court where a PIL was
pending since many years. Nothing has been done to improve the situation in
both Dharni and Chikhaldara towns having 324 villages having combined
population of over 3.03 lakh.
When first
PIL was filed in the Bombay High Court in 1990, about 1,500 deaths were
reported. In 1996, those came down to 1,150. Since last couple of years, death
figures have swelled to over 1,400, with 838 taking place in last year.
State health
minister Dr Deepak Sawant, who had actively raised the Melghat issue every time
in assembly when he was in opposition, refused to take up TOI's calls. He was
given the charge of health minister since BJP-Sena government assumed power in
2014, but he also failed to improve the alarming situation, which witnessed
steep rise in deaths in last two years due to malnutrition in comparison to
2013 and 2014.
"It's
highly surprising that the government has all funds for projects like metro
rail and smart cities, but not for poor tribals, who continue to live in abject
poverty in the region which is devoid of facilities," the senior activist
said.
An
independent survey conducted by NGO Khoj, working in Melghat since long,
confirmed large number of deaths in backward region, particularly of children
and mothers. The NGO cited various reasons for continuing deaths, that included
dearth of child specialists and gynecologists, absence of primary health
centres (PHCs) and rural dispensary in remote areas, and also lack of awareness
among the tribals. The extreme cold weather and deficiency of nutrition in
daily diet of mothers added to their woes. The number of medical practitioners
sanctioned for the region are highly insufficient in comparison with total
population of over three lakh.
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