Challenges

The tribal communities in India face a multitude of health issues. This is more so in the case of tribal people in Kerala.The major health problems affecting the tribal population are connected to maternal and child health. The maternal health problems are those related to pregnancy and child birth. These are maternal anaemia, Hypertension in pregnancy, gestational diabetes, malnutrition during pregnancy etc. In the last decade, there have been reports of several new born babies dying in Attappady due to problems in pregnancy and child birth.

Children from tribal families are affected by malnutrition, anaemia, infectious diseases like tuberculosis, rheumatic heart disease etc.

Sickle Cell Anemia is a genetic disease affecting the tribal population which leads to severe anaemia, growth retardation, recurrent hospitalization and early death.

Tribal communities also are affected by several forms of cancer, with predisposition to some types based on the area they come from. The number of Head and neck cancer and oesophageal cancers are high in Wayanad while that of Ca stomach is high in Attappady.

Tribes have a significant burden of life style diseases like Hypertension, diabetes, Coronary artery disease etc.

Smoking and betel nut chewing give rise to several health issues like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Ca Lung, Liver disease and oral cancer. In addition hundreds of women have tongue inflammation and acid peptic disease leading to malnutrition. Alcoholism is very common in the tribal villages which results in chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, malnutrition and suicides.

Mental illnesses are rampant among tribal communities. Severe mental illness like psychosis and bipolar disorder are seen along with common mental illnesses like anxiety disorders, depression etc.

Now the tribal population depends on a network of hospitals from PHCs, CHCs, Taluk hospitals, District hospitals and Medical College Hospitals for medical care. They have numerous benefits from the government system, like free transport to hospitals, free investigations, free treatment and free food at the hospitals. Tribal promoters are posted at major hospitals to ensure that they receive these benefits.

Yet the challenge is to provide high quality medical care that is timely and individualized, for the tribal patients. They have to ‘feel at home’ at the medical facility and also receive continuity of specialty medical care. The doctors and medical staff should be able to communicate with the tribal patients and remove their anxieties.