Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 20 January 2025
A nutritious, balanced weight-reduction plan performs a vital function within the restoration strategy of sufferers battling sicknesses. Timely and wholesome meals are important to enrich medical remedy, with many medicines requiring consumption after meals. However, the healthcare system throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is failing to satisfy this elementary want, leaving sufferers admitted to numerous well being centres with out correct meals.
Historically, authorities healthcare amenities within the Islands, from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to the one tertiary care hospital, have supplied nutritious meals to in-patients. Given the geographical challenges, many sufferers journey lengthy distances to entry medical care, making it inconceivable for his or her households to carry meals every day. Despite this, a number of well being centres are actually unable to supply satisfactory meals, leaving sufferers to fend for themselves.
At PHC Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar, which caters to the remotest hamlets of Great Nicobar & Little Nicobar Island, in-patients have been served nothing greater than rice and dal for over two years. Vegetables, meat, eggs, and different very important parts of a balanced weight-reduction plan are lacking from their meals. Community members have often stepped in, donating greens, meat, fish, eggs, and bread. However, these efforts have been sporadic, leaving the PHC reliant solely on a monotonous rice-and-dal menu.
The state of affairs is not any higher at PHC Katchal, the place meals has not been supplied to in-patients for greater than a 12 months. Patients at this centre wrestle to rearrange meals, compounding their well being challenges throughout remedy.
At CHC Nancowry, which serves a major inhabitants within the Nancowry Group of Islands, meals provisions ceased in early 2023. Despite repeated appeals from native tribal leaders, the administration has did not resolve the difficulty, forcing sufferers and their households to rearrange meals independently. This has led to vital hardships, particularly for these from distant areas.
Adding to the rising listing of affected amenities is PHC Baratang, the place meals companies have been halted for the previous two months. According to Mr. G. Kurma Rao, a BJP chief and ex-serviceman, the delay in finalising the tender for dry rations has prompted this disruption. In a latest put up on social media platform X, Mr. Rao highlighted the difficulty and known as for speedy motion.
Speaking to Nicobar Times, Mr. Rao revealed {that a} native affiliation had provided to offer dry rations briefly, however the Medical Officer In-Charge declined the provide, citing the necessity for prior approval from the Directorate of Health. Mr. Rao described the state of affairs as “unfortunate” and urged authorities to behave swiftly to revive meals companies.
Despite constant media experiences and interventions by political leaders, the Directorate of Health is but to handle the widespread difficulty of meals non-availability throughout these well being establishments. Patients, already burdened by sickness, bear the brunt of this administrative failure, as they’re disadvantaged of the nutritious weight-reduction plan important for restoration.
This disaster underscores a evident hole in healthcare administration within the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Those liable for making certain the well-being of sufferers should be held accountable for this neglect. Immediate steps should be taken to revive the supply of wholesome, balanced meals in all affected healthcare amenities, safeguarding the rights and well being of the Islands’ residents.
