Tribal women enjoy better health now

KOTTAYAM: The women of the Muthuvan  community  in Edamalakudy tribal panchayat  deep inside the Munnar  forest now enjoy better health thanks to the effective measures taken by the health authorities. 

The pregnancy and successful delivery rates among them have increased  after the authorities imposed strict control on the use of oral pills by the women  to curb  the menstrual cycle.

The girls  used to consume the oral pills to avoid being confined to ‘Valapura’ (a custom among the  tribal community in which the girls are forced to reside in an isolated makeshift home whenever they go through the mensus period).

According to the data  from the community health centre, Devikulam, the women stopped using the pills   after the government issued strict instructions to the medical shops in Munnar  not to give them to the  Muthuvan women.  There were awareness campaigns also by the health department officials.

Dr V.V. Radha,  block medical officer of the Chithirapuram community medical centre,  told DC  that the government regulation and the awareness programmes  had helped in an increase in the pregnancy and successful delivery rates   among the women.

“The abortion rates among the women were high previously.  They were not aware of the health implications of using  the oral pills,” Mr  Darmendran, health inspector of the Devikulam community health centre, told DC.

From six  deliveries in 2011-12,  the  rate  increased to 57 in 2013-14 and 37 in 2014-15. The Edamalakudy tribal settlement consists of 1794 Muthuvan community members.

There are also many among the community members in the nearby areas of Marayur, Kanthalloor, Adimaly, Mankulam and Vattavada.