Tribal hamlets on Kurumalai hillock still lack access to healthcare facilities

Health officials to hold a meeting in the next few days to discuss a temporary solution

A 31-year-old tribal woman, suffering from a serious illness, had to be carried on a makeshift cloth stretcher from Vellakal, a tribal hamlet in Athiyur village panchayat on the Kurumalai hillock, to the foothills for treatment. She was treated at a private hospital in Usur village, around 15 km from Athiyur, in Anaicut, near Vellore, due to a lack of proper sub-health centres in the tribal villages on the hillock.

L. Soundarya, of Vellakal, had been ill for the past few days. On Monday, residents said her condition had worsened, forcing them to carry her on the makeshift cloth stretcher to Usur. Ambulances do not ply to the tribal villages in the hillock due to lack of proper roads.

“A temporary sub-health centre is being run from the government middle school but it neither has staff nor medicines. A village health nurse (VHN) visits once a week,” said S. Annamalai, president, Athiyur village panchayat.

The sub-health centre in question operates in the Kurumalai hamlet, one of the four tribal hamlets that form Athiyur village panchayat. The other hamlets on the hillock are Vellakal, Nachimedu and Pallakollai. Together, they have a total population of around 900. Kurumalai is the bottom most hamlet, located at a distance of 4 km from the foothills.

Residents said Vellore Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian inspected the hamlets on the hillock in July last year and assured them that a new building for the sub-health centre would be built in Kurumalai hamlet. Nearly a year later, residents said no efforts had been taken towards this assurance despite the fact that 30 cents of land and adequate funds had been allocated by the district administration.

Officials said accessibility to healthcare remained a challenge for these tribal hamlets. Most do have village health nurses (VHN) who make irregular visits owing to the lack of access.

Three VHNs were moved out from these villages after they were promoted a few months ago, leading the tribal people to carry their sick to the foothills for treatment. A medical officer, who is in-charge of the hamlets, has gotten a transfer order but has been requested to continue until alternative arrangements could be made, health officials said.