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Odisha
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
Yesterday at 3:31am ?
Yesterday, in a Press Release in Malkangiri, the District Collector and other local government officials made a statement that everything is under control and there is no need to panic. Since, five children have died. One of them is Shivani Podiami from Potrel Village. Shivani would've turned 7 in another two months.
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes added 3 new photos.
Yesterday at 3:39am ?
Pooja Podanaik, aged 3, who's photo we shared a while back, has been shifted to the ICU after her breathing worsened. She's in a very critical condition. Her parents Rabindra Podanaik and Nabina Podanaik, from Potrel, very young themselves are distraught and hope their daughter returns from the ICU - dubbed as the deathbed here in Malkangiri Govt Hospital. Just a few hours back their neighbors daughter, Shivani Podiami, aged 7, was brought out dead from the very same ICU.
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
Yesterday at 5:51am ?
Potrel mourns the death of another child
Consisting of 90 families, Potrel is the first village in Malkangiri where children started dying with symptoms similar to what point to Japanese Encephalitis. 38 children died in 2011, following which every year, there have been more than a dozen deaths. Why then have none of the children been vaccinated yet in Potrel? Could Shivani Podiami's death have been averted? Had death of her adivasi brothers and sisters from her village been important enough for the administration five years back to swing into action, would she still be alive?
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
23 hrs ?
More than 300 Adivasi children have died in Malkangiri in the past two months of Japanese Encephalitis, official figure says 110 but local activists say the number is much higher, what is happening in Malkangiri?
As you'll hear a senior activist from Malkangiri explain, these deaths are not sudden deaths. Adivasi children have been dying since '11, numbers reaching upto 1500 every year. Why haven't the children from the area been vaccinated yet then? The children belong to Porja, Koya, Halva, Bhumia, Matia, Durua, Gaduva, Kotia, Kondadura, (Adivasi) Didai, Bonda (PTG) Dom (Dalit), Rana, Goud (OBC) communities, all of them from socially and economically backward communities.
Sonu Anugu, a local adivasi activist, in a moment of desperation says "No, we don't matter, people can say what they want but lives of our children doesn't matter, they wouldn't be dying by the bulk if this wasn't true. They have accepted it as their fate and so have we. What else do we do anyway?". We know why the Government and the National media is silent, they are busy pretending to convene midnight meetings about demonetization while children continue to die in Malkangiri. But all our Ambedkarite leaders talking about Dalit Adivasi Bahujan Minority unity, today is Birsa Munda Jayanthi. Birsa's progeny, an entire generation is being wiped out. Where is the rage? When will the government to its knees like they've in the past few months? Is this call for unity we keep making in all our speeches and writing just rhetoric? The situation is beyond horrifying, we need to come together now.
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
21 hrs ?
More lies from the Malkangiri District Collector
The District Collector in his statement which started with 'Everything is under control' also mentioned that Anganwadis in every village is equipped to identify symptoms and offer free services in case of need to affected children. Almost all villages do not have a Primary Health Care center and the ones DC spoke to said they go to the Anganwadi when its open if their children are sick for basic medication. The state of the Anganwadi in Potrel looks quite the opposite of what the statement of the District Collector suggested. Looking at the state of this Anganwadi, one is one left to wonder how this Anganwadi, in a village where Japanese Encephalitis struck first, is equipped to handle anything at all.
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
21 hrs
Attempted interview with Assistant District Medical Officer, Dr. Mohapatra who is in charge of the District Medical Hosital, Malkangiri where children with JE like symptoms are being admitted, in the presence of Anand Madhi, government school teacher and Dhananjay Madkami, retired govt school headmaster:
Q: Sir, would you be..
A: No.
Q: I haven't completed my question.
A: I can't give the media any bytes.
Q: Ok dont talk on camera, I just want to ask you questions regarding vaccinations.
A: No, the Collector has instructed us not to talk to anybody, you go talk to him.
Q: But...
A: (high pitched) Why are you harrasing me? There are four ADMO'S, ADMO (family planning), ADMO (sanitation), ADMO (surbey) and ADMO incharge of the DHQ which is me, you go ask ADMO (sanitation)
Q: But Sir, since you are managing this facility, can I ask you questions regarding the facility?
A: What?
Q: How many have died due to Japanese Encephalitis since 2011?
A: Go ask Collector.
Q: But Collector..
A: File an RTI, you'll get detailed informa.. (trails off)
Q: But Collector has been in Office only for the past two months, wouldn't you know better?
A: Go ask Collector. Also, only some children are dying because of JR. Many are dying because of malaria and other mosquito borne diseases.
Q: But children are dying? How are you stopping that?
A: I can't do anything here, ADMO (sanitation) has to do fogging.
Q: But majority kids have been dying because of Malaria since 2011? Are you sure? What about these new statements about AES, JE by the Collector then? And if the deaths are caused by Malaria, like you say, what measures have been taken?
A: File RTI,
Q: Since when have you been in charge of this facility?
A: 2012.
Q: Have children been vaccinated here for JE or other diseases you attribute deaths to, since you've taken charge?
A: No. But file RTI.
Conclusion: Atleast, we know one thing for sure. No vaccinations since 2011.
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
20 hrs ?
Children are first admitted to a common ward at the Malkangiri Govt Hospital from where if their fever doesn't decrease or of they've incessant vomiting, they are shifted to the Japanese Encephalitis Ward.This doesn't mean they are getting any different treatment, there isn't any such treatment one is aware of, as far as one understands. From here, if their condition worsens, they are shifted to the ICU.
All the beds in the JE Ward are occupied. the three beds which are empty were emptied yesterday evening, the children being shifted to the ICU. All three of them died later in the night.
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
20 hrs ?
Madkam Bire's son, Bheema Madkam, aged 7 has been in the ICU for seven days now. After admission into the ICU, he has largely been unresponsive, his mother says. He hasn't been responding to his mother, though he has been conscious every time she enters the ICU, she says. After this interview, Babula Khora who's son is also admitted inside and Madkam Bhire mentioned that all these medicines and injections that are beng pumped into the children are giving the children side effects. Just like how Madkam Bheema seems to be going deaf, Babula shared that this has happened with other children before too. One child accoriding to him, who was discharged the previous day, has completely turned deaf. "We see them taking out buckets and buckets of syringes, what are they pumping into our children", he asks.
He also mentioned that Kasturi Hantal, aged 5, who died the previous night at the ICU is survived by a younger brother who was brought along with her for admission. But her grandparents took him away as soon as soon as the doctors left. He stayed out of the hospital and has recovered. She didn't. Babula seemed to suggest that those who are admitted at the hospital had more chances of dying than those who refused to bring their children to the hospital.
The question one needs to be asking is when the District Administration has themselves made it clear either directly or indirectly that nobody knows decisively what is killing these children, what treatment are they being given then? Even if the children survive, though hardly anyone who makes it to the hospital seems to be coming out alive, what is the expertise of Doctors who are administering medication and overseeing treatment? Are they equipped to handle a disease which still has a cloud of confusion around it? When will the experts from AIIMS and other centers of excellence be wheeled in? After how many more deaths? All those loans which have been waived off by SBI to defaulters including Mallya post-demonetization, is this what was discussed in the midnight emergency meetings? How about discussing flying in medical experts or shifting children to a better facility immediately?
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
19 hrs ?
Rama Beti and Debe Beti from Kothaguda, Kalimala Block admitted their son five days back. Today morning, at around 9 AM, Debe was informed that his son was declared brain dead.
Shivani Podiami, Kasturi Hantal amd Seema Gui, all below the age of 7 were also declared brain dead today.
[h=5]Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes added 3 new photos.[/h] 4 hrs ?
Naveen Patnaik, who is unwilling to spend 10 crore rupees, a meagre amount for a state government to save the people of Malkangiri! And Modi's government instead of declaring a medical emergency, have been using these deaths for political gain. This is nothing but state murder of Adivasis, who are more than 50 percent of Malkangiri population (ordistricts.nic.in/district_profile/demography.php).
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes added 6 new photos ? in Malkangiri.
November 15 at 9:35am ?
It was almost 11 PM on 29.10,2016 when Irme Padiami and Sudarshan Padiami realized that the fevers their children seemed to have since the day before wasn't a normal fever. Susila Paddiami and Ramesh Padiami, 2 and 4 respectively hadn't eaten a morsel for two days now. Their temperature just kept going up and at a point it seemed like their bodies were on fire. When Sudarshan tried calling 108, he realised his phone had network issues. In Daniguda, if you are lucky, your phone will have network during the day. After 8 PM, it was almost impossible to venture out to a spot where your phone would connect. Inspite of desperate attempts, Sudarshan wasn't able to reach 108. Finally, at day break, he went out till the main road, made a call to 108 and within a couple of hours, his children were admitted at the Malkangiri Govt Hospital. In two days, both of them were dead. Though both the cases were diagnosed as Japanese Encephalitis, the authorities at the Hospital didn't know how to treat them, nor was their case escalated to higher authorities or to a better facility. Like many other adivasi children from the neighboring villages of Daniguda, both Susila and Ramesh lost their lives due to the State's historical apathy towards adivasi lives, even before they could hit the age of 5. The official figure of deaths attributed to Japanese Encephalitis since October '16 is at 112 now. The unofficial figure, local activists say, has crossed 300.
