ASHISH SATAV

Melghat is a hilly, forest, difficult-to-reach tribal area (>4000 km2), having population of 3,00,000 scattered over 320 villages. In Melghat, tribal population is >75%. Tribal are poor people living in huts. Major problems in Melghat are -

1)    Very high prevalence of Severe malnutrition: > 20%

2)    Very high age specific mortality rate (>80 per 1000 live births in age group of 0-5 years and >400 per one lakh population in age group of 16-60 years) & MMR> 300 . 

1      Hospital: The needy patients will be treated by Physician, eye surgeon, Paediatrician, obstetricians and surgeons in our hospital. Patient of heart attack, brain haemorrhage, cataract, cancer, post burn contractures, goitres, neonatal sepsis, etc. will be treated in intensive care unit and OT with ventilator, operating microscope, anaesthesia work station, etc.

2    Mortality Control Program for Economically Productive Age Group

It consists of detection and management of patients ( age group of 16-60 years) through a trained semiliterate local female village health worker (VHW) from 30-35 tribal villages.

3    Home Based Child Care (HBCC):

Provision of treatment care to pregnant mothers, newborn and under –5 children in 30 to 35 villages.

4    Community based management of severe malnutrition (SAMMAN)

It consists of community-based treatment of severely malnourished children along with treatment of associated infections and BCC of parents.

5    Behaviour Change Communication (BCC)

Intensive BCC e.g. flip-chart, group discussions, audio-visual shows, community meetings, street plays, self-help groups, child to child health education, demonstrations, etc. for nutrition, illnesses, hygiene and sanitation, addiction, safe water, etc.

6     Blindness control program:  our team will regularly screen 300 tribal villages of Melghat for ophthalmic problems, conduct BCC, bring needy blind people to our hospital.  

1.    To save lives of patients of Melghat in our hospital.

2.    To reduce the age specific mortality rate (16-60 years) to < 250 per lakh population in 30 to 35 tribal villages over a period of 5 years.

3.    To reduce under 5 children mortality to < 65 per 1000 live births in above setting.

4.    To reduce prevalence of severe malnutrition to < 15% in above setting.

5.    To reduce maternal mortality rate in above setting.

6.    To improve vision of poor tribal from 300 villages of Melghat.

7.    To improve functional lives of poor tribal from 300 villages of Melghat .

8.    To save lives of pregnant mothers and treat gynaecological problems.