A team of health workers from the district health office, which had gone to administer vitamin A and other medicine in the nomadic tribal area, was stumped as the Raute community declined to take the medicines, stating it would be against their culture. [break]
As per the government´s plan, the health workers were sent last week to the Kalimati area in Salyanm, where the Raute community is now living, to administer the drugs. However, they returned without accomplishing their task.
“As per the government´s directions, we reached the tribal village with the medicines but we had to turn back as they flatly declined to take any medicine from us,” said Prem Khatri, assistant health worker at Dharapani Sub-Health post, Surkhet. “We also tried to induce them with money to take the medicines, but to no avail,” Khatri added.
The community, which lives a nomadic life in the forest, does no believe in modern medical treatment. They rather prefer herbal remedies for curing disease.
“Don´t get angry! Our people cannot take the medicine you have come with” Khatri quoted Ain Bahadur Shahi, the chief of the community, as telling the health workers. “We also turned back the doctor´s team which came some time ago,” Shahi further said.
According to Khatri, the Raute declined to take any medicine, pointing out that their ancestors never took any either. Rather than medicine, they asked for money instead.
“Take your medicine back. Give us some money instead. Our people have not been able to fill their stomachs for so long. Your medicine would not satisfy our hunger,” Khatri further quoted Shahi as saying. Over 100 Raute people are living in Kalimati. The government was planning to administer vitamin A and other medicines to over 20 Raute children below five.
“The Ratue´s refusal to take the medicine poses a challenge for us. We should devise a new plan,” said Basanta Shrestha, health education officer at the district health office.
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