Palamuru healthcare in poor state

Mahbubnagar: Palamuru synonymous to be backward also lags behind in the healthcare awareness. Though the health department is claiming to have spent crores of rupees for infrastructure facilities, medicines and other things, but going by certain survey reports, Mahbubnagar district is ranked last in the healthcare awareness in Telangana. Due to lack of awareness majority of the people in the villages excrete in the open and get succumbed to contagious and chronic diseases.

Particularly, the women and benighted people in the rural villages have not come out of the superstitious believes like Black Magic and Sorcery.

For instance, Ramavath Nirmala of Vijaynagar colony of Jadcherla mandal has a 6-months-old-baby-boy, instead of going to a doctor for treatment she approached a famous quack at Bheemaiah Dabba in Badepally, who usually performs a ceremonial by cutting onions and lemon over the baby and later ties a 'Taayat' and chants some mantras to wade of the evil spirits. "Sometimes, due to changes in weather conditions babies develop certain respiratory problems. Such problems are not cured by the doctors, so we approach the swamyjis, or Khaji's who give us Taayat and chant mantras to wade of evil causing disease," says Nirmala.

Not only Nirmala, there are thousands of such cases in the rural and remote parts of the villages in the district who believe in Swamijis and Khajis or quacks instead of approaching doctors. This clearly shows that the people in the district, even though educated, have not come out of the superstitious believe. Particularly this is seen more with regard to healthcare issues in the district.

Even though the government is claiming to provide all kinds of facilities at the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) villagers approach PHCs, CHCs and Area Hospitals only when situations are severe for the patient. The main reason for the people from the rural villages not approaching the doctors is due to clear lack of awareness and fear of using tablets. "I do not prefer a doctor to get my simple ailments cured like fever, cough and cough. I cannot believe the doctors because majority of them try to fleece money and prescribe unnecessary tablets. I have my own natural remedies for these ailments. We go to a doctor only and when our conditions get worse," says Laxmi of Korlakunta Thanda, from Veepanagandla Mandal of Wanaparthy district.

According to Dr. Bhadram, from Government Hospital at Mahbubnagar, unlike in the olden days, the situation is not that bad and many people in the rural villages are also becoming health conscious and slowly abandoning quacks. "It is true that there is still need to spread healthcare awareness and make the people more health conscious in the rural villages. The health department is also doing its part in spreading awareness in the villages through its own network of ANMs and Nurses. For instance, the Pulse Polio programme has become a big hit, where the rural healthcare workers have effectively delivered their services even in the remote parts of villages," said Bhadram.

Awareness is a continuous process and this process must be continued on a regular basis. However, due to lack of adequate doctors, Nurses and required strength of ANMs people are not adequately sensitised on personal hygiene, sanitation and spread of diseases.