In the last six months, 20 Pando tribals died due to various diseases in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur-Ramanujganj district and not due to malnutrition as alleged by a section of the media, the District Chief Medical and Health Officer said on Wednesday.

Dr Bansant Singh said that six people in the 60-80 age group died due to prolonged suffering from paralysis and other diseases in Ramchandrapur block. Four people died due to liver diseases, three due to heart attack and two due to pneumonia.

Similarly, one got infected by Covid-19 and died while excessive alcohol consumption claimed the other lives, he said in a statement.

Most of the deceased were provided treatment at the local primary health centre, community health centre, district hospital and Ambikapur Medical College Hospital. Some of these patients died in hospital during treatment, he added.

While assessing reasons for their death, it was found that there is a tendency among the tribals to believe in quack and exorcism without taking medical advice, neglecting eating habits, excessive consumption of alcohol and not following medical advice.

These can also be possible causes of death, the officer said.

Special health and public awareness camps are being organized in all Pando and hill Korwa dominated habitations of the district. Based on their medical condition, free medicines are being distributed, he said.

The population of Pando community is concentrated in 30 villages of Balrampur-Ramanujganj and Surajpur districts in northern Chhattisgarh. They are categorized as a vulnerable tribal group due to their limited numbers.