Comprehensive Tribal Health Care

Schemes

 

Comprehensive Tribal Health Care

 Outlay is provided for the following components. 

 

The Scheduled Tribes Development Department is running five Allopathic outpatient clinics in the remote scheduled tribe areas of Attappady (2 clinics), Chalakudy (1 clinic) and Idukki (2 clinic). More than 24,000 ST beneficiaries are assisted annually through these institutions. Ambulance services and medical camps are conducted through these OP Clinics. The staffs of OP Clinics are engaged on contract basis by Scheduled Tribes Development Department. Provision for meeting establishment costs including cost of medicine and other charges for running these institutions and cost for running medical camps by these OP Clinics are also envisaged under this component.

 

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This component envisages providing medical care to Scheduled Tribes through selected hospitals in the State. The outlay is for providing treatment assistance to tribal people affected by various diseases especially like Sickle-cell anemia, TB, Cancer, Heart/ kidney/Brain ailments, water-borne diseases and any other diseases through approved hospitals in the state. The amount shall be used for purchase of medicines, expenses incurred for medical examinations including all types of scanning, purchase of medical aids and equipment and expenses for ambulance services in the absence of the same in Government hospitals. Also, pocket money for by-standers and food expenses of patients will be met in needy cases.
The fund will be distributed through the District Medical Officers concerned of all the 14 District Hospitals and other identified Government Hospitals in various districts of the state where there is substantial ST population; and through the Superintendents of all Government Medical College Hospitals. Also, fund will be distributed to the Superintendent of two Co-operative Medical College Hospitals viz. Cochin Medical College and Pariyaram Medical College and to the Directors of Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Regional Cancer Centre and Malabar Cancer Centre. Families identified under the Extreme Poverty Survey shall be given priority.

 

This component is intended to provide financial assistance to the STs affected by various diseases and natural calamity. Financial assistance will be given to the Scheduled Tribes who are below poverty line and who suffer from various diseases including diseases like cancer, heart/kidney/brain/lungs related ailments etc. They will also be granted assistance up to ₹ 1.00 lakh per person, as per the provisions incorporated in the Government Order issued for the management of Relief Fund of Hon’ble Minister for Welfare of SC and ST. Financial assistance shall be given to patients on producing proper medical certificate obtained from concerned specialist medical practitioners. Also, it is envisaged to provide reliefs to ST families in case of emergencies. Financial assistance for organizing medical camps, transportation of patients to nearby hospitals, provision of nutritious food on the advice of the doctor, cost of purchase of drugs unavailable in hospitals, cost related to death/ post mortem, relief for managing disaster/untoward incidents/accidents and providing immediate relief to the needy are the other activities envisaged under this component. Families identified under the Extreme Poverty Survey shall be given priority.

 

 

In association with Health and Excise Departments, Campaign against alcoholism, chewing tobacco or tobacco based preparations like pan parag, substance abuse etc. are planned through medical camps as well as separate health and adult education sessions. Health education activities and counselling focused on these areas would be given priority. Hospitalisation charges of chronic addicts in de-addiction centres will also be met from this provision.

 

 

It is proposed to start nutrition rehabilitation centres, in association with Health Department, utilizing the services of Mobile Medical Units, in tribal areas where there is acute malnutrition problem. The activities include screening, nutrition counselling, nutrition supplementation, nutrition awareness campaign, hygiene awareness, pre-natal and post-natal check-ups and referral services. It also includes, assessment of nutrition requirements of ST persons in that region considering all regional and anthropological peculiarities, find out imbalance if any, advice on nutritional supplements and food habits keeping in mind the local edible food grains for attaining optimal nutritional balance for each person in each geographical area.

 

The amount provided under this scheme can be utilized for uninterrupted operation of the 'Ammaveedu' project started at Kottathara Tribal Specialty Hospital with the aim of solving the obstetric difficulties of pregnant women in Attappadi villages. In this project, facilities will be provided for pregnant women to come to the 'Ammaveedu' before the date and stay with their families for safe delivery. This scheme is envisaged in such a way that the mother and child return to settlement after the delivery with a satisfying health condition.

 

 

It is proposed to start nutrition rehabilitation centres, in association with Health Department, utilizing the services of Mobile Medical Units, in tribal areas where there is acute malnutrition problem. The activities include screening, nutrition counselling, nutrition supplementation, nutrition awareness campaign, hygiene awareness, pre-natal and post-natal check-ups and referral services. It also includes, assessment of nutrition requirements of ST persons in that region considering all regional and anthropological peculiarities, find out imbalance if any, advice on nutritional supplements and food habits keeping in mind the local edible food grains for attaining optimal nutritional balance for each person in each geographical area.

 

Mobile medical units have been established for tribal sector and these clinics are linked with the nearest PHCs, CHCs, Taluk Hospitals and Multi Speciality Hospitals. There are 14 mobile medical clinics operated under the department in association with Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. (KMSCL). The Mobile medical clinics are equipped with doctors and paramedical staff with labs and medicines. This scheme gives special attention to the reports generated by anganwadiswith respect to malnutrition and chronic nutritional deficiency of children and pregneant women.

 

The component provide comprehensive cancer care along with establishment of brachytherapy facility (including equipments) at Nallurnad Hospital in Wayanad district by utilizing Artificial Intelligence Automated Cervical Cancer Screening System jointly developed by RCC and C-DAC to detect and prevent cervical cancer, oral cancer breast cancer etc. at an early stage among Scheduled Tribes in Kerala.

 

 

This programme aims to distribute equipment, including wheelchairs and hearing aids, to the differently abled Scheduled Tribes to overcome their disabilities. The programme is being implemented in Wayanad district in the first phase and will be extended to other districts. The project is being implemented jointly by the Scheduled Tribe Development Department and the Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disability (CRC) - Kozhikode, which works under the Union Ministry of Social Justice.
The equipment will be available free of cost through the ADIP (Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase and Fitting of Aids and Appliances) scheme. Financial assistance for awareness camps, transportation of beneficiaries and other expenses for the installation of equipments etc. of the project can be met from this component.