Tribal Health Problems and Healthcare Practices in West Bengal: A Case Study of Toto Tribal community in Alipurduar District, West Bengal

Abstract

Tribal people having common issues related to poor health indicator, high morbidity and mortality level and lack of proper health care services (Govt. of India, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2013). This paper aims to examine socio-economic conditions of tribal people among totopara village community and to find out factors affecting health status and their access to health care facilities. Totopara which is a small village under Madarihat police station of the district of Alipurduar which lies between 89°20’ East latitude and 26°50’ North longitude. The Totos have resided at the foothills of the Himalaya closed to Bhutan in a small village named Totopara in Alipurduar district of West Bengal since time immemorial. The Totopara is administratively under Ballalguri Gram Panchayat (JL No-33) which lies on the western bank of Torsa River. Their marginalisation is an underlying cause of poor health limiting their opportunities to present their own perspectives of their situation. It is not a surprising fact that the incidence of health-related issues is found more among the toto tribal community because of their biophysical attributes and the state of vulnerability which further makes them more vulnerable group among the tribal people. The acute problem of them is examine in the research work also. The problems of their health are listed. There is a need of long-term policy intervention to promote better living standards and better reproductive health through educational development. It is high time and states should act swiftly to assess the needs, priorities of their own tribal population and set goals, targets to achieve the same through proven public health strategies.