Relief for Locals at Free Health Camp in Maoist Affected Area in Odisha

Locals and the tribals got some relief at the free medical camp in Maoist infested area of Odisha's Malkangiri district as the doctors treated them for various ailments. Musan Nayak, a local said, "Those who have money can go to the district headquarter of Malkangiri. We are poor farmers only. This camp is helping people like us, who don't have money. The farmers are, moreover, not educated and they do not take the patients to the doctors. So, this camp is educating them and providing them medical facilities."

"There are nine specialists and they visit villages comprising of poor people and tribals. Since it is a Maoist affected area, adivasis (tribals) cannot come here so we visit such villages and provide them free medical service," said additional district medical officer, Sasibhusan Mahapatara.

This initiative was taken by the provincial authorities for the first time, in a bid to provide free medicines and quality remedial facilities to the poor villagers of Maoist-infested Malkangiri.

Malkangiri is one of the worse affected by activities of left wing extremists. Most of its area is inaccessible and out of reach due to lack of communication facilities. The people of these areas are mostly deprived of the health services.

The health camp run by the provincial government also provides free medicines worth 100 thousand rupees to the poor.

Public health centers were there in these remote areas but most of the time they remained shut due to lack of doctors and fear of Maoists.

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These mega health facilities have come as a blessing for the deprived poor and tribals of the area.

Free medicines and quality remedial facilities to the poor villagers remained the main highlights of the camp.

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The health camps were organized in two other villages, Vejaguda and Kursiguda.

Recently, the deadly killing of 19 people, including some regional leaders of India's federal ruling Congress party in Chhattisgarh, has put the spotlight back on the Maoist insurgency, termed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the biggest internal threat to the security of the country.

Source-ANI