In MP’S tribal belt, BJP plugs some health gaps with Ayushman Bharat

Oneofthefewgondcommunity members from Chhindwara to pursue an MBBS degree, 21-yearold Akash says a lot has changed in the district. “Earlier, we were forcedtogotonagpurformedical treatment. Now, even knee replacement surgeries are performed here. A medical college helpssustainanecosystemofclinics. Hence, it is important in the tribal belt,” says the 21-year-old.

It is a common sight across Chhindwara to see not just voters but also party workers discuss healthcare, with many raising concerns about health infrastructure. While Congress workers speakaboutformerchiefminister Kamal Nath footing medical bills, BJP workers promote the Narendra Modi government’s Ayushman Bharat and its testing efforts for sickle cell anaemia.

Chhindwara, which is Nath’s turf, is one of the five tribal-dominant districts of eastern Madhya Pradesh along with Mandla, Shahdol, Sidhi, and Balaghat that will vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19. Here, healthcare is a major concern for voters and parties too seem to have taken note.

In Chhindwara, tribals make up 36.8% of the district’s population. BJP candidate Vivek Bunty Sahu, who will take on Nath’s son Nakul,claimstohavehelpedmore than 7,000 people with medical problems. Nath’s camp claims to

havehelpedevenbjpworkersand has accused the BJP state governmentofslashingthebudgetofthe medical college.

Mandla district is a part of MP’S is home to the Gond and Baiga Adivasi communities.

Tribalsmakeuparound57%ofthe district’s population.

At the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre here, a concerned Kavya Parte complains to the child specialist Dr Kamlesh Thakurthather2-year-olddaughter

has stopped drinking milk. “Your daughter is suffering from sickle cell anaemia,” the doctor says,breakingthebadnewstothe 29-year-old. “I do not know what the disease is and do not have an Ayushman card. Many people frommyvillagehavethecardand are being tested by the government,”kavyasaid, referringtothe Centre’s National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission. In MP, people diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia are provided with a disability certificate so they can access welfare benefits.

Even Congress leaders do not discount the significance of the mission. “While we gave tribals theirrights,thecongressisunable to counter the BJP on two key issues – opposing Droupadi Murmu’s presidential candidatureandthesicklecellelimination mission. We feel we have a tough roadahead,”saysamemberofthe state Congress’s ST cell.

Around 315 km away on the state’s border with Uttar Pradesh lies Sidhi, where 27% of the populationistribal.atthegovernment Women’sdegreecollegehere,19year-old Pooja rushes to submit her assignment. “I wanted to join the government nursing college, whichneverbecameoperational. I cannot afford private education hence I am pursuing a BA,” she says. he Sidhi Nursing College in question has been on the CBI’S radar over alleged irregularities. The CBI found at least 65 nursing colleges across MP ineligible to operate due to lack of infrastructure. In some cases, the colleges had rented out their premises. Then CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a medical college in Sidhi last September when the state had only five. The number since then has grown to 31.

A 125-km road connecting Sidhi and neighbouring Shahdol, used by a handful of vehicles, is mostly broken. Tribals make up around 44% of the population here.outsidetheshahdolmedical College, Gulabia Bai (68) of the Gond community, who has travelled around 70 km from Umaria, nurses an eye wound. “The local politician has worked hard but a hospital with good doctors is still a dream,” she says.

Around700kmfromshahdol isbalaghat.havingsheditsmaoist area tag, it boasts of automobile andfinancecompanies.however, anoft-heardcomplainthereisthe lack of high-paying jobs. Nisha Bansore(19)ruesthefactthatstudents are forced to work service jobs despite performing well in academics.“weneedtomovebeyond these jobs which pay Rs 10,000 per month,” she says.