SUNABEDA TRIBALS FAIL TO AVAIL MAMATA, JSSK BENEFITS

the pioneer

STATE EDITION 

SUNABEDA TRIBALS FAIL TO AVAIL MAMATA, JSSK BENEFITS

Monday, 08 July 2013 | AJIT PANDA | NUAPADA | in Bhubaneswar

Mathura Bhunjia, a tribal woman of Sanbaheli village in Sunabeda plateau here delivered a child inside a forest when she was staying there in a temporary shed for collection of Mahua flowers.

A traditional birth attendant of her community attended her during delivery. She continued to stay inside the forest for another month till the end of flower collection and in the meantime, the newborn had died.

Nandinibai Majhi under Salepada anganwadi centre (AWC) of this plateau was somehow fortunate. The Janani Suraksha Ambulance reached in time being informed by Biju Bhunjia, a youth leader and took her to the Community Health Centre (CHC) located at the block headquarters - Komna and subsequently shifted her due to complications to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) at Nuapada, where she delivered a male child. “But she had to pay Rs1, 000 for the transportation and spent some money on check-up,” said Biju.

Sanabai Barge of Sunabeda AWC in her 9th month of pregnancy with swollen legs and feet, however, does not want to move to the CHC. “We cannot pay the fair of the ambulance and the charges of check-up,” said her mother-in-law.

The Mamata Yojana and the Janani Sisu Suraksha Yojana (JSSY) in different villages of Sunabeda plateau are a failure. Under the Mamata Yojana, the women in their first and second pregnancies are entitled for financial benefit of Rs 5,000. Likewise, under the JSSY, the women are entitled to get free medicine, food, blood transfusion, if required and transportation cost from their house to the CHC for institutional delivery. But, all these services are not available to the women living in the remote villages of the plateau area.

Sunabeda and Soseng Gram Panchayats located on the Sunabeda plateau at a distance of 54 km from the CHC and 96 km from the DHH, are two of the most backward Panchayats of the district, which are bereft of all types of health services. Although, staff members have been appointed in the hospital located at Sunabeda, no one stays there stating the presence of Maoists as a threat.

“In most of the cases, several minor problems aggravate due to lack of primary health services,” said Rajsing Majhi of Salepada village. “The regular health check-up in most of the AWCs is not done,” added Majhi.

The people are not aware of the Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND), which should be conducted every month in every village to conduct health check-up of the women and children registered in the AWCs.

“We only take weight in the centre,” said Nrupati Biswal– the Anganwadi Worker (AWW) of Sunabeda AWC. The AWW reports that most of the centres in the plateau do not have Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measuring tap to measure the mid arms circumference of the children to determine the Severe Acute Malnourished children, known as SAM.

“We try our best to serve the women and children registered in our AWCs, but in some cases we do not get cooperation both from the people as well as the officials,” replied Nrupati Biswal.

Out of 25 women registered in the AWC of Sunabeda in last two and half years, while only two of them received Rs 1,500 each. “It is very difficult to open an account in the bank, because the bank officials do not compromise if the documents are lacking. The women will not agree to walk down to the plains for the second time covering more than 50 km to reach to the bank” said the AWW. The AWW has submitted applications of 25 women in past two years in the ICDS office at Komna for opening of Pass Books for enabling the women to get their entitlement under Mamata Scheme, but only three accounts have been opened.

 The status of Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) is also not so good. Barnibai Bhunjia of Sunabeda village under Godbhata AWC is 6 month pregnant. She is not getting any SNP from the AWC. Likewise, Pramila Majhi of the village having a child of one and a half months’ old is not given any SNP. The Godbhata AWC is not functioning well.

“There is always a shortage in supply of ration under SNP. The AWWs are true in this regard. The Sunabeda AWC has a total of 65 women and children with eligibility to get Chhatua (dry ration), but the centre is getting Chhatua for only 40 persons. The AWW of this centre makes adjustment by giving less to the beneficiaries. “Bisayabai Bhunjia has a baby of less than 3 years’ of age and she is pregnant again. In this case, she should get four packets of Chhatua per month, but is given only two packets,” said the AWW of Sunabeda AWC.

“I have complained about this several times to the higher authorities in last two years, but they have not taken any step,” she added. The AWW of Godbhata centre has also similar answers to justify the exclusion of deserving women and children.

One major problem in the plateau area is also the underage marriage, which puts the life of the young girls of this area under stake. Mithila Bai, Chandini Bai, Mathura, Khemni, Kamla and Barnibai of Sunabeda village are within the age group of 15 to 17 years, but they are all are married and are either pregnant or mothers.

“There is no awareness within the people. We have to conduct meeting in villages to raise awareness about all these things,” said Bhujbal Chinda of Sunabeda.