Superstitions takes hold of childless couples

Childless couple shaved off bark of a mango tree 

The power of superstition has taken hold of childless couples in Adilabad district. Many believe that if they ingest the juice of the bark of a tree from which a person committed suicide by hanging himself and also tie pieces of the bark of the same tree on their person, the woman would  conceive.

This blind belief in hearsay has been leading childless couples to procure the bark of the person hanged himself, the whole operation having to be clandestinely done as there is still so much social stigma associated with being childless.

Roopchand of Kalvathanda in Dilawarpur mandal said that when his uncle Rathod Yashwanthrao, committed suicide by hanging himself- due to inability to repay the mounted debts and failed crops- a childless couple had shaved off  the bark of the mango tree from which he had hanged himself.

Roopchand said, he had done this too after an elderly woman hanged herself at the outskirts of the village, and he had his wife were blessed with two children.

Medical experts have been decrying such recourse to blind superstition and  suggesting that the authorities concerned create awareness among the rural people on staying away from irrational methods and go in instead for medical treatment for infertility.      

Minister tells Adivasis to shun superstitions

Health minister checking health of Adivasi child

Health Minister Dr C. Laxma Reddy said Adivasis still believe in superstitions which indirectly affecting their health and causing even causes death.

He appealed to the Adivasis to give up their belief in superstitions and take medical treatment for the good health and protect themselves from the diseases.

Minister asked the members of youth associations, community elders to educate the community people against the superstitions. He said a special ward in RIMS will be reserved for Tribal patients come across the district for treatment. 

Along with Ministers Jogu Ramanna and Allola Indrakran Reddy, health minister Laxma Reddy visited the Adivasi gudems where incidents of viral fevers, malaria positive cases and deaths were reported in Sirpur (U) and Jainoor mandals.

‘Some of the Adivasis not even going to hospital for treatment and instead taking traditional medicines made of herbs, he observed and said it was high time Adivasis change themselves and use modern medical treatment offered by the state government’.

The minister said efforts would be made to give nutritious food to Adivasis suffering from anemia to improve their immunity.  

During his visit, Mr Laxma Reddy admitted that there were cases of fevers but not in large numbers and directed the officials concerned to shift all the Adivasis including children suffering from malaria and viral fevers to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad.

Some of the Adivasis of  Pullara village in Sirpur (U) complained to the ministers that the doctors ad staff of the PHCs are not giving them treatments citing that they do not come under their jurisdiction and advising them to go another PHCs which were far away from their native villages.

The health minister expressed displeasure over not shifting the villagers suffering from fevers to Adilabad for better treatment and for not attending the patients seriously while stressing upon the sanitation, drinking potable water.       

Mr Laxma Reddy surprised when Asifabad MLA Kova Laxmi explained him some of the traditions practiced with regard to lactating women and just born babies by the Adivasis.

Health minister also inspected government hospitals at Jainoor and Utnoor and promised to upgrade the hospitals as community health center and 100 bedded hospital respectively.