Kantabanji: Even as the government boasts of several schemes to improve rural health, healthcare has suffered in the Maoist-hit regions of Turekela block in Bolangir district. For people in these regions, ‘health and doctor’ mean quacks and sorcerers.
Locals are alien to various schemes and programmes launched by the state government. Health facilities are a dream to tribals residing in these regions. Their lives are on the hands of some traditional healers and quacks who they believe are gods for them.
Sample the life story of an elderly tribal, Padmamukh Majhi, a resident of Gabhara village under this Turekela block in Bolangir district.
Majhi shouldered the responsibilities of his elderly wife and only grandson after the sudden demise of his bread-earner son and daughter-in-law. Everything was well, until Majhi was affected by an unknown fever last December. Failing to avail medical treatment, he approached a village quack. The quack administered an injection without even being aware of the disease.
Majhi’s health condition instead of getting better worsened after the injection. His left leg began to swell causing severe pain to Majhi. Family members again approached the quack but he declined to attend Majhi this time. Instead, he told them to admit Majhi to a local hospital and tell doctors that he fell from a tree.
Family members admitted Majhi to the local hospital. However, there was no improvement in his health. His thighs began to rot. Later, the flesh from his thighs began to fall bit by bit after getting rotten, sources said. “Medical authorities administered saline for a day or two and sent Majhi home without proper treatment,” a local Anganwadi worker said. Now, Majhi is left with no option but to battle for his life. Now, the couple along with their grandson is left starving.
They are deprived of government supplied rice and kerosene for last four months. They live on tea and puffed rice for four months. They tend to remain indoors after the sun sets in as they are unable to light lamps due to lack of kerosene. PNN
