Tribals form more than 1% of the State’s total population and they belong to 35 communities. 22% of them are still living in the forest areas. Wayanad district with 1,36,062 Tribal population, Idukki district with 50,973 and Palakkad district with 39,665 account for the majority of the tribal population of Kerala
In order to provide primary Health care services for the tribals living in the remote and hard to reach tribal settlements, 13 tribal Mobile Medical units are functioning in the state. Five of these units are functioning in the Wayanad district, two each in Idukki and Palakkad districts and one each in Kasaragod, Malappuram, Kannur and Trivandrum districts. These units are conducting on an average 20 medical camps per month in the remote tribal settlements under the leadership of a medical officer with the supporting para-medical staff like pharmacists, staff nurse etc. The field workers and the supervisors of the respective areas do the mobilization of the community to the camps. In these camps the essential primary health care needs of the community namely the treatment of the basic illnesses, antenatal and postnatal care, immunization services, prevention and control of the communicable diseases etc. are provided. Also necessary health education programmes including the prevention of waterborne diseases are imparted through these medical camps.
Comprehensive health Care for Sickle Cell Disease in Primary Health Care setting
- Special Project in tribal areas of Wayanad and Palakad district
- Comprehensive health care facility for sickle cell disease
- Diagnosis, early recognition of complications and treatment of complications to reduce the mortality,
- Prevention of new cases through genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis