Encourage Tribals In Attappadi To Grow & Eat Vegetables In a bid to check malnutrition-related infant deaths in Attapadi, Hyderabad based National Institute of Nutrition, has recommended a slew of measures in a report submitted to the state government. They include referral fund for anganwadis to transfer emergency cases or sick patients to hospitals and promote kitchen gardens for growing green leafy vegetables and other veggies in their backyards. The report was prepared after a study was conducted by the institute from May 20 to 26 this year. In the report submitted last month the NIN has emphasized on the need to encourage tribal communities in the area to grow and eat vegetables in order to control micronutrient deficiencies. The report has also stressed on the need to improve healthcare accessibility and deployment of experienced health personnel in the area to manage risks related to pregnancies. “After media reports we sent a team to Attapadi to study the issue and submitted a report to the state government,” said Kalpagam Polasa, director-in-charge, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, who was in the city to address a seminar on food safety concerns and issues organised by the department of home science, St Teresa’s college. As per the study, 48% of the adult women had chronic energy deficiency (CED), which was marginally higher compared to 44% of tribal women in other parts of Kerala. According to the study, the intake of qualitative and protective foods such as green leafy vegetables, pulses, milk and milk products, oil, sugar and jaggery was less among people, thus leading to micronutrient malnutrition like anaemia, iron and vitamin A deficiency. While the state government has implemented some of the recommendations, it’s in the process of carrying out others. The study has also highlighted health issues caused by regular liquor consumption by people in the area. Radhakrishnan, director, Integrated Tribal Development Project, has urged the state government to prohibit sale of liquor in the area. “The request was sent to the state government after the NIN report,” said Radhakrishan. Meanwhile, NIN is planning to conduct a detailed study of the tribal areas in the state. Govt fails to clear dues, Kottathara tribal hospital faces milk shortage Thiruvananthapuram:In yet another lapse in welfare measures initiated by the state in Attapadi tribal block in Palakkad district, the free distribution of milk to inmates at the children’s ward and women’s ward at the tribal specialty hospital at Kottathara has been stopped for the last two and half months. Health officials said that Milma stopped providing milk as the state government failed to pay dues of Rs 45,000 despite repeated requests by senior health officials working at the hospital. The nodal tribal hospital is the only government specialty hospital in this tribal block and the government had slightly upgraded its infrastructure and increased the staff strength in the wake of 58 malnutrition deaths in the last 20 months. There are 20 children currently recuperating in the children’s ward and around 30 women undergoing treatment at the hospital. “We find it difficult to provide milk and other nutritious food to these patients and this is affecting their health adversely,” said a senior health official. On Saturday, Manikadan, a seven-year-old boy, died of dysentery in Attapadi. Health workers said this was a result of the villagers still using the water that is being directly pumped from Siruvani River. “All the 192 villages in three panchayats in the region are facing the problem of the water contamination. The government needs to start a centralized water treatment plant to solve this issue,” said Rajendra Prasad, president of Tampu said. TNN