MES has recently started its new Health Centre at Attappadi, Palakkad District, one of the major tribal Centers in the state and also socially, educationally and economically the most backward village in the state. Although the area is known to be one of the tribal heartland in Kerala, major proportion of the population today is constituted by the settlers from other parts of Kerala and Tamilnadu. The area Dwells 3 tribal community – Mudugars, Irulars and Kurumbars. Of these Kurumbars is the most remote and leads a primitive life in comparison to others. The total population of all these tribal is around 30000. There are a total of 192 tribal hamlets or Ooru in the area.
This centre is set to provide specialist care to tribal people and adequate social workers have been appointed to assess the need of the tribal community and to distribute essential medicines at their doorsteps. Attapadi has always been in the lime light due to infant mortality among the Tribals.
Pregnant women and lactating mothers were found to be suffering from chronic malnutrition and Anemia. Premature delivery and low birth weight was seen as the main reason for the infant deaths in the area. The mothers who had premature delivery gave a history of raised blood pressure (pregnancy induced hypertension) and anemia. The necessary measures are being brought out to take care of pregnant women and tribal children. A comprehensive health education programme is being charted out to address all these issue by this Centre. Apart from the Health promotional activities conducted at the Centre, wide spread outreach programmes on various health issue are being organized in the tribal colonies.
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