The State government on Saturday launched an ambitious nutrition project exclusively aimed at eliminating neonatal deaths in Attappady. The UNICEF-supported project named Oorinte Tharattu (meaning lullaby of the hamlet) will ensure constant monitoring of pregnant women as well as the newborn babies in the tribal belt of Attappady.
Apart from persistent monitoring and weekly reviews of pregnant women and babies, the project will ensure the supply of nutrient supplements for them. The Scheduled Tribes Development Department chalked out the project in the wake of a series of neonatal deaths apparently owing to malnutrition reported from Attappady a few months ago.
Inaugurating the project at Government Model Residential School, Mukkali, Attappady, on Saturday, Minister for Welfare of SC, ST and Backward Classes K. Radhakrishnan asked the different government departments to ensure that the beneficiaries of various projects are getting the dividends.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said that the Janani scheme devised to address malnutrition of pregnant women would be a great boon along with the new Oorinte Tharattu scheme.
“When devising projects for Attappady, priority should be to make the tribespeople self-reliant. If one member in a family has a sure job, then it will bring an end to the problems of Attappady,” said the Minister.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said that 500 beat forest officers were appointed exclusively from the backward communities. As many as 250 nursing and paramedical students will be selected and given training and jobs. And preference will be given for the tribespeople of Attappady, he said.
The Oorinte Tharattu project is being implemented in three phases. The Minister also inaugurated the distribution of the neonatal kits prepared in consultation with the Unicef.
Ottappalam Sub Collector D. Dharmala Shri, who is the nodal officer in charge of Attappady, said that the neonatal kits would be key component of the Oorinte Tharattu project. She said that health workers would monitor the pregnant tribal women of Attappady using an android application. “This scheme is the first of its kind in the country,” said Ms. Dharmala.
She said that the programme was chalked out by using the data collected over the last 18 months. The data shows that the hamlets spread across Agali, Sholayur and Pudur panchayats in Attappady will have 240 to 250 pregnant women at a time.
N. Shamsuddin, MLA, presided over the function. Attappady block panchayat president Maruti Murukan, Pudur panchayat president Jyoti Anil Kumar, Sholayur panchayat president P. Ramamurthy, Model Residential School senior superintendent M. Kanthasamy, and Integrated Tribal Development Project assistant project officer K.A. Sadikali spoke.
