Melghat research centre to boost tribal health care

Amravati: A first-of-its-kind research centre in Melghat region promises to help study local problems and chalk out future tribal health policies. Late Dr GM Taori-Jamnalal Bajaj Tribal Health Research Centre was inaugurated in joint collaboration between CIIMS and Mahan Trust at the latter’s premises on Sunday.
Explaining the idea further, Dr Ashish Satav of Mahan Trust said the research centre has three main aims — providing treatment based on good diagnosis, conducting research and utilizing data for structuring policies. “In Melghat, 80% tribals are living below poverty line and they do not venture outside. Today, diarrhoea is a leading cause of death, but we don’t know the reason for this due to paucity of research in bacteria and parasites in a tribal set-up. In future, we also plan to study infections of central nervous system and devise a vaccination strategy,” he said.

Dr Satav also plans to begin clinical trials and intervention, with special focus on zoonotic research.

Director of research, CIIMS, Dr Rajpal Kashyap, said, “We have been working on tuberculosis and malnutrition for the past eight years and have realized that diagnosis is important but it needs to be coupled with study of dietary patterns and counselling. People here used to stop having food after taking TB medicine. About 70% diseases in the region are caused by animals. Treatment facility is available in the country, but only after the problem has arisen. Research is required to identify and prevent problems beforehand.” The next target is to ready a task force by dedicating members from both CIIMS and Mahan to take the initiative further, he added.

For at least one year, CIIMS will be providing diagnostic kits for the centre and extending facilities which are available at the research centre in Nagpur, Dr Kashyap told TOI, adding a plan will soon be worked out for the future.

“Whatever information is gained can prove useful for other tribal areas. Generating data, doing studies and gleaning information out of it, which can be used by world at large, can help save lakhs of people. A balance between clinical care and research needs to be maintained, where ratio of research needs to be more,” observed director of CIIMS, Dr Lokendra Singh.

Nutritionist Jayashree Pendharkar, Dr Ashok Khanorkar, Dr HF Daginawala, Dr BN Daga and other members from the CIIMS management were present at the function.