Nearly 500 children die every year in the tribal-dominated district due to severe malnutrition, official figures say.
Nearly 500 children die every year in the tribal-dominated Palghar district due to severe malnutrition, official figures say. Yet, there is just one government paediatrician for the entire Palghar tribal project area, with a population of 5.4 lakh. The project covers Jawhar, Mokhada, Vikramgad and Wada talukas.
The pediatrician, Dr Ramdas Marad, is posted at the Patangshah Kutir sub-district hospital, Jawhar. He is also the medical superintendent of the institution and is obviously overburdened. The three other taluaks – Mokhada, Vikramgad and Wada – have rural hospitals. They also run a special child treatment centre (CTC) for malnourished kids, just like the Jawhar sub-district hospital. But they also don't have a pediatrician.
"Nurses, with the help of doctors who are either MBBS or specialise in streams such as gynaecology, mostly run the CTC in the three hospitals," say officials.
Among the three talukas, Mokhada is the worst hit as Dr Marad visits the rural hospital, which is 20 km away, just once a week. The hospitals admit a huge number of malnourished kids every year, with 2-3 kids often sharing a bed.
On Sunday alone, 17 kids came to the Mokhada rural hospital. It has just 10 beds in the CTC. Dr Mahesh Patil, who is in charge of the hospital, says: "We have to attend the kids even if beds are not available or the paediatrician is not there."
CTCs must also have a dietician but they don't have. The diet of malnourished kids are usually decided by the dietician. "Even if the paediatrician and dietician aren't there, kids are given multivitamins, iron, folic acid doses etc," said a nurse. She claims that she also washes utensils as there is not enough lower staff either.
Kids are sometimes discharged even if they need more hospital care as there are no doctors, say experts. Roshni Savar (2) of Wada, who died on September 9, is a classic example. She weighed only 6.5 kg.
"She was admitted to the Wada rural hospital from August 12-25 and then discharged as her weight became stable. Nurses asked us to come again after 14 days. But her condition deteriorated on September 5," says Mamta Savar, her mother, with a choked throat.
The family took her to a doctor nearby. When her condition didn't improve, they took her to the Wada hospital. Her father Gurunath, a farm labourer, said: "They started saline but fluid came out from her mouth and nose. We were asked to take her to the Thane civil hospital but she died on the way."
Difficult terrain, long distances between villages, lack of public transport system and poorly administered public health system only add to the woes of the villagers. "Kids are actually at god's mercy in this area," says Chandrakant Nago Savar, a villager from Wada.
Child deaths in Palghar
Up to 6 years of age
2013-4: 527
2014-15: 485
2915-16: 457
2016-17 (till July) : 126
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