Joda(Kalinga Voice) : Tata Steel Foundation has undertaken various initiatives to promote healthcare among tribal communities in Joda. They include providing clinics and hospitals, mobile medical vans, health camps, family planning services, dealing with neonatal and infant mortality, adolescent and reproductive sexual health, communicable diseases, disability management, promoting health awareness among others.
The primary health centre services in a number of locations are static by its nature of operations. The local people in the villages of Jajang, Jalahari, Palsa, Khondbond, Guruda, Jalahari, Joribahal and Balda are mostly dependent on the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) run by the Foundation for consultations.
The services include free diagnosis and checkup, treatment, counselling, health, education and awareness to villagers and students. Patient details are registered and clinical parameters are captured, and medical consultation is subsequently provided. Besides, the team also ensures that the referral cases get treatment at the nearest Tata Steel hospital within the shortest time possible. The MMU services are also provided in parts of the Joda municipality. In the last four years, the services reached more than 65000 people in the municipality area.
One of the key projects, Maternal and New Born Survival Initiative (MANSI) is also operational in the area that focuses on working with pregnant women, mothers and children on the issue of infant mortality through partnerships with the local administration. Since the pandemic hit, MANSI has reached out to more than 3200 women in the area.
Pradhan Munda, from Jajang panchayat, shares, “My wife got pregnant at an early age and the child was born while it was only seven months. A team from MANSI got in touch with us and helped us get proper treatment. Gradually, not only the health of the baby improved but my wife is also doing better now.”
A number of specialised and general health camps are also hosted regularly in the operational areas. A static clinic functioning in the Joda municipality provides free health services to the people in the area. On an average, 500 patients are treated monthly here. To control the rate of mortality and morbidity that occurs due to malaria and dengue fogging is done regularly covering the 14 wards in the Joda municipality.
