Govt trying to cover up Attappadi infant deaths

Attappadi: The health department is trying to cover up Attappadi infant deaths by disclosing incorrect data to undermine the gravity of the issue. According to Dr Anitha AK, District Reproductive Child Health Officer, infant mortality rate among tribals in Attappadi is just 4 percent. However, the infant mortality rate recorded at Kottathara Tribal Hospital is 33 percent. This figure is alarming and well above the state average of 6 percent.

According to the officials of the health department, 99 percent of the infant deaths this year in Attappadi was due to congenital anomalies and genetic factors must have been the reason for it. Contrary to this, the records of Kottathara tribal hospital show, seven out of the nine infant deaths in Attappadi were due to malnutrition and the remaining two due to congenital diseases.

According to Dr.Anitha AK, District Reproductive Child Health Officer, congenital anomalies are the leading cause of infant deaths in Attappadi. “Congenital anomalies among them could be due to genetic issues, which might have been triggered by consanguineous marriages. A detailed study has to be conducted,” said Anitha.

By putting blame on genetic factors as the cause of infant deaths, the department is trying to get away from the heat and save face.

However, the former superintendent of Attappadi Government Tribal Specialty Hospital, Dr. R Prabhudas, said that infant deaths due to congenital anomalies are very less in Attappadi. The deaths are mainly due to underweight and malnutrition. Congenital anomalies were prevalent here before and it was addressed properly by our team,” said Prabhudas.

Various agencies working for the welfare of the tribal population here expressed concern over it. “There is a hidden agenda to destroy the entire tribal population. Once we go extinct, it will be easier for settlers and the real estate mafia to grab our land. The move to destroy us has been taking place for decades,” said VS Murukan, Secretary of Attappadi Action Council.

He also said that the death rate among tribal youth is even higher. “However, the government does not keep a record. The death rate of men between the age of 25 and 40 is also very high. As many as 25 murders of tribal youth have not been investigated properly by police. There has been a move to spoil our youth by giving alcohol and other toxic drugs. All these clearly expose the ulterior moves to eliminate tribals here,” added Murukan.

Even various departments have different figures on the tribal population in Attappadi. According to the ITDP project officer, there are 32,956 tribals in Attappadi; whereas the health department figures show only 28,142.

In 2011, infant deaths were first reported in Attappadi with 14 cases. Following this in 2012, there were 16 deaths and 31, 15, 14, 8, 17, 13, 7, 10 and nine deaths have been recorded later from the year 2013 to 2021 (till date).

Weaker health of the tribal population in Attappadi was pointed out as the reason for increasing infant deaths. According to a doctor in Kottathara Tribal Hospital, over 50 percent of the tribal women in Attappadi are underweight and expressed concerns on the deteriorating health conditions. “If the parents are underweight and unhealthy, the chances are very high to have infant deaths.”

Despite having 30 welfare schemes and spending nearly Rs 1.6 lakhs per family per year for their welfare, the health condition and living standard of tribal population in Attappadi remain pathetic.

The tribals said that land alienation is the key issue in Attappadi and the infant deaths here are indirectly linked to it.

“The entire tribal folks were leading a happy and prosperous life. Due to land alienation, the majority of the tribals have lost land. With no land to cultivate the traditional ragi, maize, amara and other pulses, they started depending on food materials from ration shops. Their lifestyle has turned upside down; they became jobless and their traditional protein-rich food was replaced with rice and a curry; most often tomato. This has made them weak and with a lot of free time, they turned to alcohol to pass time. If the government has any concern on the issues faced by the tribals here, strict measures must be taken to get back the lost land and promote farming among them,” said Maruthi, President of Thaykula Sangham. She also urged the state government to make use of 'Thozhilurappu project' for promoting farming.