DIPLORABLE BANSPAL:
`CONCERN' OR `CURSE' FOR WORLD?

Eye brows are certain to be raised of exclamation to take
stock of the harsh reality, Banspal and other identical blocks of
Keonjhar districts in Orissa go through. An Orissan Ethiopia i.e.
Banspal block is a burning sample of human suffering at zenith in
the area of `health', the foremost need of a life.

Recent study, manifesting the unbelievable mortality ratio
of pregnant women and infants reveals that, 24 new born babies with
5 pregnant women, 40 babies with 1 mother and 31 new born babies
along with 6 pregnant mothers had left for heavenly abode during
January, February and March, 2008 respectively, thanks to the
illiteracy , dogmatic prejudices and fundamentalist life style of
tribal, inaccessibility of health service due to acute
communicational traumas with worst uneven topography and above all
the callous governmental approach. An infant in each day and a
mother in each month breaths last, as per the average calculation.

`Juang' and `Bunyan' clans consist majority of the primitive
communities, inhabit in this block. Owing to lack of education and
awareness, instead of availing institutional facilities, tribal
people hesitate to come to health centre or maternity centre in
delivery cases apprehending more expenses. Irregular, that to rare
visit of the health service provider also stretches their confidence
graph southward. Numbers of new born kids succumb to Pneumonia,
Hypothermia, Diarrhea or collapsation due to cold as they are dipped
in nearby rivers and streams just following their landing on earth.
This bathing of fresh born babies is an old age practice.

Government health department is running here with one
community health centre, five single doctor PHCs, twenty five sub-
centers and four upgraded sub-centers (where ANMs and health workers
work). Two posts of doctors out of total five allotted are lying
vacant in five single doctor PHCs which is assigned to the services
at grass roots. In other hand, no appointment is made against five
vacant posts of Women and Child Welfare Inspector. Only two out of
seven of the same posts are filled up yet. Above all, only six
doctors are on duty out of nine allotted posts inside the
circumference of the block. Statistic suggests that, 27, 470 people
and a territorial coverage of 648.62 sq. Kms fall within the service
purview of one doctor, which seems to be an uphill task. Government
fails to deliver, so far as filling up the vacancies are concerned.
Reluctance of health service providers to stay here is another
contention, which may be attributed to rough roads and tough climate
as well. Apart, negative and casual approach of health providers is
causing impediments some times.

Objectives of the prolonged Juanga Development Agency with
its head quarter at Gonasika and much talked `National Rural Health
Mission' are a total futile here at this juncture.

Not only mother, infant mortality rate, but this block
is engulfed with dreaded diseases, viz. Malaria, Tuberculosis and
other epidemics. Disaster in communities, living here within a very
short period can not be ruled out, unless the plight for urgent
public health care with concrete plan and move is heeded on out of
turn basis.
Ghasiram