HEALTH CARE
Among the maladies and diseases, the Adivasis suffer from various malnutrition,
tuberculosis, anemia, leprosy, various kinds of skin diseases, intestinal
parasites and malaria are the most common.
The Carmelite Sisters came to Dediapada Taluka for the first time in
1966. With in days of their arrival they plunged head-long into medical
work. In the beginning they had a real hard time. They neither had any
medical facilities nor did they have the necessary infrastructure. To add
to this, the people were initially very suspicious. But slowly they began
trickling in. As they realized that the sick were treated well, more and
more began coming from far and near. Soon there were about a hundred patients
to be attended to per day. Often they would spend the night in the open
so as to be first ones to be attended to in the morning. People mauled
by wild animals too would come for treatment. From this humble and difficult
beginning, the dispensary and health work has come a long day. Oxfam and
the Misereor helped in the setting up of the mobile units and the main
dispensary at Dediapada.
The nun doctor who has been here since the very beginning, besides looking
after the above-mentioned maladies, take care of gynecology and orthopedic
cases too. Daily there are about five to seven X-ray taken and fifteen
screening done. The dispensary also has a pathology department.
In 1970, a mobile unit (extension) of dispensary was started. The nuns
felt that the center at Dediapada could not be reached by the sick in far
off villages. There is a nun trained in tropical diseases who, accompanied
by a nurse goes four times a week to these centers at Nal, Gaisavar, Kodba
and Bharada. Oxfam has helped out in the setting up of these units.
There are village health workers in seventeen villages. These people
have undergone a training course at Dediapada and look after minor ailments
like common colds, headache, common skin diseases, first aid and so on.
Their main work however, is to educate the local people in primary health
cleanliness hygiene, childcare, wholesome food and sanitation.
Once a month they meet at Dediapada for further instructions. They also
discuss the general health situation in each village.
Under the auspice of C.R.S. and Oxfam, a Mother-Child Health Scheme
has been launched. Under this scheme, there is an under-five feeding programs
for children at four main centers - Kanbudi, Bharada, Boridabra and Nivalda.
There is a regular check kept on the health of each child and appropriate
nutritious food is supplied. At present, in 1995 over 500 children are
cared for under this scheme. At the same time there is a nutrition and
health care program for pregnant and lactating mothers. Also there is a
vaccination and immunization program going on in 19 villages. Under the
preventive care scheme B.C.G. Polio and D.P.T. injections are administered.
As can be seen from all this, the health program launched by the Dediapada
Center (there is a separate Trust that looks after it - Nivalda Dispensary
Trust - N.D.T) has really caught up and is doing a fantastic amount of
good. It is really the most significant work the nuns are engaged in.