Maharashtra Tribal Development Minister Vijaykumar Gavit on Friday told the Legislative Council that 593 tribal kids from the state died due to accidental reasons including, snakebite, suicide and electrocution, in the past five years.

Gavit was speaking in the Upper House as per instructions issued by deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe.

The minister said, “As many as 593 tribal kids have died due to various reasons of which 544 have died at their parents` place between 2017-18 and 2021-22. The remaining 49 died in schools. There are 499 government-run Ashram Shalas or tribal schools in the state.”

“Accidental deaths such as drowning, electrocution, death by suicide and snakebites are the prominent reasons,” he said.

The state government has roped in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru over the suicide of students, he said.

“Two retired officials of the Public Health Department have been asked to talk to the parents of the students who died by suicide and note down the reasons behind it. The state will take the next steps as per the guidance of the NIMHANS,” Gavit told the Council.

The minister said some parents approach quacks instead of taking their sick kids to the nearby doctors which results in more such deaths.

Meanwhile, government has established Maharashtra Medical Equipment Purchase Authority to enable government purchases of medical equipment and medicines through a single body, Health Minister Tanaji Sawant said on Friday.

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The Department will also work to give a new lease of life to the state-run Haffkine Institute whose primary job is vaccine development and manufacturing, he said in a statement.

A bill for the establishment of the authority was passed by both Houses of the state legislature in the ongoing Budget session.

Until now every government department purchased necessary medical equipment and medicines separately, often at varying rates.

Purchases of medicines, medical equipment, sonography machines, dialysis machines, ventilators, CT scan machines and furniture could be now made through this authority. Even the Union government and other states can make purchases through it.

The authority will be chaired by the chief minister while the health minister, medical education minister and food and drugs minister will be its vice-chairpersons, the statement said. (PTI)

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