In what would be a stepping stone towards ensuring good health of children, medical education and district in-charge minister S A Ramdas on Sunday launched a programme to treat malnourished children in the district.
The doctors at Cheluvamba Children’s Hospital diagnosed the general health of the children among a total of 384 such children identified in a survey.
A survey, undertook jointly by the departments of woman and child development and health and family welfare, has identified 282 malnourished children including 160 girls. That apart 102 children were identified in anganwadis taking the total to 384, the minister told the media.
Apart from Cheluvamba, the children were simultaneously diagnosed at NPC Hospital in Nazarbad, SMT Maternity Hospital in Lakshmipuram, Community Health Centre in Jayanagar and V V Puram Hospital. They will be given five kg of wheat every month for six months and the doctors have been entrusted with the task of keeping track on their health condition.
A total of 65,000 children, including 15,595 students, were surveyed. Of them 384 were found to be malnourished. Further, the minister said the programme will be extended to other parts of the district and later across the state under Holistic Integrated Health System. A five-member committed has already been constituted to make the programme a success.
The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) has evinced interest in supplying ready-to-eat food items for such children, Ramdas informed.
The minister said the Cheluvamba Hospital has been identified as a referal hospital for malnourishment cases and will soon be equipped with a dedicated ward.
The ward will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 1.22 crore. If all goes well, the ward will be dedicated on November 14, the Children’s Day.
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