PALAKKAD: Malnourishment, substance abuse, observance of menstrual rituals and lack of adequate food and toilets are some of the tribal ground realities brought to the attention of a fact-finding team of medical students. The group of first-year students of Palakkad Medical College have adopted three tribal settlements in Attappadi -- Varagampadi, Elachivazhi and Palur -- under the Community Medicine Project.
“More than 80% of families do not have toilets. And with construction of many toilets abandoned midway, many of the allottees were not using them. Drinking water that was being sourced from the nearby river was neither chlorinated nor filtered,” said Seetha Mohan, part of the 100-strong team of students that surveyed Varagampadi tribal settlement.
She said each student will adopt five families and collect all their details and conduct follow-ups as part of the ‘family adoption’ curriculum introduced for medical college students in the state. Widespread incidents of sickle-cell anaemia, tuberculosis and thyroid, malnutrition, were also brought to the attention of the team. It noticed that one of the Anganwadi was closed. Students suggested a mechanism to ensure that anganwadis function on a daily basis, that classes were being imparted regularly and midday meals (wheat-based uppumavu) were being distributed to students in a routine manner.
The functioning of community kitchens must also be monitored. Counselling sessions aimed at creating awareness are mandatory, as chewing of pan masala and substance abuse were common, among even tribal women and children, a student said. The team visited the settlements in three batches of 100 students each. The second visit is scheduled for the end of this month.
The team also organised a street play to drive home the message of the ill effects of drug abuse and alcohol, and also to stress the need for adequate nourishment and maintaining hygiene. The team has adopted three tribal settlements consisting of 300 families. “We paid a visit in early January and we will be following it up by visiting the same families in March and May this year. We will collect data in collaboration with the Kottathara tribal speciality hospital. Since they are first-year students, the treatment and diagnosis will be carried out by interns or specialist doctors,” said Dr Shilu Zachariah, head of the department of community medicine.
The students have been issued a detailed questionnaire. “The data collected will be analysed and interventions made wherever necessary. The medical college is the only one under the department of scheduled castes and tribes in the state. The process of identifying villages and collection of details began in November 2022,” said Dr M S Padmanabhan, director of the college.