Koderma: Two members of the protected Bihor tribe died in separate incidents on Friday night at Bariyardih village under Markacho police station area allegedly due to unavailability of timely medical help. The deaths showed how healthcare facilities are still a far cry for the particularly vulnerable tribes living in the remote pocket of the state.
In the first incident, 35-year-old Somari Bihorni, who was suffering from diarrhoea for the last three days, died at 10pm on Friday. Her husband Sanjay Birhor said his wife’s illness was reported to a local health sub-centre, only 200 meters away from their hamlet, but he alleged that the ANM on duty gave two tablets when his daughter went there and did no further check-up. Sanjay said, “If my wife was given proper treatment, she would have lived.”
In another incident, one of the newborn twins died hours after birth due to unavailability of proper post-natal nursing and care. Arti Birhorni (25) delivered the male twins in an open ground outside her house on Friday night as no healthcare centre for delivery was available near her village. The nearest centre is about 15km away, but sources said they didn’t contact anyone for hospitalisation. On Saturday morning, Arti was admitted to Koderma sadar hospital along with her lone surviving kid.
Reacting to the incidents, Koderma civil surgeon Dr Parvati Nag said the medical officers-in-charge of the blocks always has to monitor health-related cases in their areas of jurisdiction.
Nag said, “The deaths are unfortunate and proper investigations will be done to find out if there were any lapses. Arti and her child are now stable.”
Dr Vipin Kumar, medical officer of Markachho block, said the health workers regularly visit the Birhor hamlet for routine health check-ups, but couldn’t explain how they failed to detect these two cases on time.