Kerala: Youth from tribal hamlets in Malappuram being trained as health volunteers

Malappuram: A mild fever, snake bite or any other ailment, and residents of tribal colonies in the forested interiors of Malappuram district in Kerala need no longer panic trying to find transportation to the nearest clinic or wait for the government's mobile dispensary, instead they can seek help of the health volunteers in their community who have been trained as the first point of contact to provide basic medical aid in such circumstances.

These trained health volunteers would use digital thermometers, blood pressure (BP) machines and pulse oximeters to check those who are ill and will relay their findings over the phone to the doctors who would then advise the further course of action. This way, the inhabitants of these tribal hamlets would not have to resort to their ages-old, and sometimes misconceived, modes of treatment or wait for the government's mobile dispensary or arrange for a vehicle to go to a hospital in the city.

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Keeping in mind these challenges faced by the residents of the tribal communities, like Cholanaikkar, Kattu Naicker and Paniyar, the Kudumbasree organised a programme -- 'Suraksha' -- to train select individuals from there in basic first aid, including CPR, fire and rescue as well as use of devices like thermometers, oximeters, BP machines and COVID prevention kits.

Dr Aswathi Soman, Medical officer at the Government mobile dispensary in Nilambur here, who conceived the training programme, told PTI, that the objective behind the training programme was to avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals and to also empower the tribal communities.

She said that the training would help create a team of health volunteers, in each of the tribal settlements, who can check blood pressure (BP), fever levels, oxygen saturation of anyone feeling sick and fatigued and relay the same to the doctors from inside the forests over the phone for further action or treatment.

"This would help to avoid unnecessary visits to the hospitals, will boost their confidence and would empower them," she said and added that it was perhaps a first of its kind programme in the entire country. She said that she came up with the idea of the training program after someone offered to donate these devices as well as some other medical equipment, like stretchers.

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She further said that candidates from the tribal settlements in the forest areas of Manjiri, Mundakkadavu, Vettilakolli, Ambumala, Palakkayam, Uchakkulam, Alakkal, Punchakolli, Chembra, Iruttukuthi, Vaniyampuzha, Tharipapotti and Kumbalappara participated in the first phase of the training programme, which was was organised as part of the Kudumbasree's Gotra Sakhi Community Health Care Scheme.

There are over 200 tribal settlements or hamlets in the district of which those in the very interiors of the forest areas were selected for this training programme. The candidates were taken to the Nilambur Municipality Hall in jeeps from inside the forest and were imparted training, in Malayalam and their native tongue, by Dr Soman and Fire and Safety Officer Muhammad Habib Rahman on February 10.

Shanu, the Tribal Coordinator of the Kudumbasree District Mission here, told PTI that the Gotra Sakhi scheme was the outcome of more than three years of their field experience with regard to the mental and physical health issues faced by the tribal populace of these areas. He said that around 73 people from 13 tribal hamlets/settlements, from the forest interiors, participated in the first phase of the training programme along with 35 tribal animators, through whom Kudumbasree carries out its field level activities.

These trainees are now expected to train others in their hamlets/settlements in first aid, fire and rescue as well use of these devices, he said. "We were also able to address the misconceptions they (tribals) had with regard to dealing with certain medical emergencies, like snake bites, choking on food fatigue, etc...," Shanu added.

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These trainees can use the knowledge they have gained to create awareness in their hamlets against these misconceptions, he added. Vinod, who hails from one of these tribal settlements and is pursuing his PhD, told PTI that during the COVID-19 pandemic they had to be even more careful than usual not to fall ill as going to hospital for treatment was fraught with risks of getting infected. Vinod, who also participated in the training programme, while appreciating the intention behind it, said that whether it was beneficial or not can be ascertained only after a few weeks and added that more such training programs were necessary to make an impact.

Earlier, authorities used to come here and give us these devices and then would leave without explaining or teaching us how to use them, he said. However, this time they have taught us how to use these devices and the results of the training would be visible only after a few weeks, he added.