Health minister K K Shailaja orders probe into infant deaths

PALAKKAD: Health minister K K Shailaja has ordered an inquiry into the alarming increase in the number of tribal infant deaths in Attappadi as it touched 15 so far this year as against 14 the previous year.

The minister also asked the director of health services to probe into the allegations that gynecologists in the Tribal Specialty Hospital, Kottathara are going on leave. She said a Unicef team will probe the infant deaths and suggest remedial measures.

“Infant deaths are happening despite government taking various steps to address the issue,” she added. The minister has called for a meeting of top officials on December 31 in Attappadi to discuss the matter.

The infant death toll reached 15 after the death of a male child on Saturday. The baby of Rangamma and Pazhani of Nellipathy tribal hamlet died soon after birth at a private hospital in Tamil Nadu. The child weighed 3kg at the time of birth.

Rangamma, who was admitted to the Tribal Specialty Hospital on Tuesday, was shifted to the Tamil Nadu hospital on Friday after her condition deteriorated. Parents of the deceased child said they did not get proper medical care from the Kottathara hospital. Both the gynecologists were on leave and it was the nurses who attended to the pregnant woman.

Tribal organizations protest in Attappadi

Palakkad: Tribal action council activists on Saturday blocked roads in Attappadi to protest the death of an infant.

Action council chairman P V Suresh has demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths of tribal infants in Attappadi. He has sought action against medical officers who are responsible for the deaths.

Attappadi block committee president Shibu Cyriac said the tribal health nodal officer, block panchayat and the state and central governments are responsible for tribal infant deaths.

Tribal activist K A Ramu said tribal infant deaths are happening when there are 28 health sub-centres and a tribal specialty hospital in Attappadi with 51 doctors. “Out of this, 28 doctors are in Kottathara Tribal Specialty Hospital. The sub-centres are not giving proper medical care to tribespeople,” he said.

“There are 400 health department staff in Attappadi to provide healthcare to the nearly 30,000 tribespeople,” Ramu said.