Call of duty: Bengal doc works round-the-clock to reach out to vulnerable people in remote regions
It is 8 pm— time for most residents of Purulia’s Bandwan block, located along the West Bengal- Jharkhand border, to go to sleep after the day’s hard work.
But Kajiram Murmu, the block medical officer, isn’t through with his work. Murmu attends to sick children, women and the elderly who can’t make it to the block health centre.
He belongs to a tribal community and is posted in an area known as Bengal’s most backward zone. Murmu leads a team of four doctors and oversees the treatment of around 250 patients who turn up at the block health centre every day.
After that, he sets out to remote villages located in the dense forests of Bengal to reach out to those who cannot afford public transport fare or they simply don’t have any transport. “Malaria, tuberculosis and diarrhoea are the common diseases in this region.
"Additional precautions and long-term medication are required as part of the treatment. Other than meeting new patients, I also follow up on those who visit the health centre,” says Murmu. According to the 2011 census, Bandwan has a total population of over 94,000, of which around 89,000 live in rural pockets. 51.86% are from the scheduled tribes.
health centre | EXPRESS
The zone has an almost equal male-female ratio. Those who are not involved in cultivation work as agricultural labourers, forming over 60% of the population, depend on forests for their livelihood.
“Malnutrition is a major issue. Malnourished tuberculosis patients show a delayed recovery and higher mortality than well-nourished patients,” says Murmu, who was posted at Bandwan over two years ago.
Murmu says he has to persuade the tribals to use mosquito nets to avoid malaria. Murmu realized that prescribing medicines at the block health centre would not be enough.
“We conduct overnight camps for two days in remote villages. We teach them how to use bleaching powder during the monsoon season. Besides, we make them aware of how to use water purification tablets to avoid diarrhea.”
Thakurmani Murmu of Duarsini village, the last hamlet located in Bengal along its border with Jharkhand, says she would never forget the night when Murmu turned up at her doorstep a year ago.
“My eight-year-old granddaughter was suffering from fever and was vomiting. She had become too weak. The doctor treated her. He also taught us various dos and don’ts.”
Subhash Tudu’s 12-year old son was suffering from tuberculosis. “We took him to the hospital and doctor examined him. Before discharging him, he advised us about various precautions. The doctor-babu started visiting my house regularly to inquire about my son’s health. My son got a new life because of him,” Tudu said.