Patrapur: Stung over media reports about prevalence of malnutrition in tribal hilltop villages under this block in Ganjam district, the district administration officials have rescued five children and admitted them to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), a report said Saturday.
A team from the district administration visited the hilltop villages and identified the children suffering from malnutrition by testing their blood samples and taking height and weight measurements Friday. The blood samples of 28 kids confirmed the presence of malaria parasite among 27 children. The team members also found that the elders too have various diseases. But they have failed to avail medical treatment due to lack of healthcare facilities in their area. Moreover, the much hyped Janani Surakshya Yojana has remained a misnomer for the pregnant women in these villages.
The children who have been admitted to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre are: Pinku Behera, Priya Behera, Rupali Karji of Badaanshupa village, Sani Pradhan of Kurugada village, Pabitra Dalei of Dhobalingi village. Last week, the administrative officials had similarly rescued a kid and admitted him to the centre.
Villagers on these hilltops were living a life of obscurity away from development until a team of media persons climbed the hills and visited various hamlets. During their visit, they found malnutrition and various diseases were rampant. The inhabitants were resigned to their fate due to ignorance and lack of healthcare facilities.
The publication of the media reports prompted the administration to rush a team and take stock of the situation. Hundreds of villages in Tumba, Ankuli, Buratal, Khariaguda and Turubudi panchayats of the block are situated on the hilltops. The villages, mostly tribal, have remained cut off from others due to lack of good roads. As a result, the villagers live a life of neglect and deprivation plagued by malnutrition and disease. PNN