Pathetic healthcare facilities in Chakmas areas of Arunachal Pradesh

30 October, 2012

The health facilities available to the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh are practically zero. There are no hospitals and dispensaries in the Chakma areas.

IN SOME instances there is not even Primary Health Centers in these villages for 900 families at Chakma village, Chowngkham, Lohit district; 600 families at Deban and M' Pen Area of Changlang district, 2000 families of Vijoypur and Dharmapur of Changlang district.

There is only one Primary Health Center at Diyun for 50,000 Chakmas and Hajongs in Changlang district. That too is without basic facilities and sufficient staff. As a result, people suffer and die of simple and curable diseases. Dysentery, diarrhea, malaria, viral fever, elephanthesis, typhoid are the common diseases.

In 1994, an epidemic killed more than 300 people including children. Every year large number of people dies due to lack of medical facilities. Mortality rate among the Chakmas is very high. Government Health visitors or departmental representatives rarely visit the Chakma inhabited areas.

Further, the nutritional status of the Chakma children is pitiable. Pregnant and lactating mothers too do not get sufficient nutrition, which gets reflected on their health thus affecting their children too. In fact, all the Chakma villages in Arunachal Pradesh live in an environment characterized by malnutrition, under nourishment, infection, poor shelter, dearth of safe drinking water and sanitation.