Govt survey in Mandya district identifies 4,377 malnourished kids

MANDYA: As many as 4,377 children suffer from malnourishment in Mandya district and of them, 144 children below six years are severely malnourished, revealed a recent survey conducted by the women and children welfare department.
The financial crisis in families due to job loss, unemployment and poverty during lockdown has played a crucial part in children’s health. Now, with the third wave of Covid round the corner, the malnourished kids are highly vulnerable to infection as their immunity is low.
According to the survey report, 62 boys and 82 girls were found to be underweight, while 2,100 boys and 2,277 girls were found to have average weight. According to the report, children who were found underweight suffer from severe malnourishment and those children with average weight have moderate malnourishment.
The district has 1,04,145 children who are below six years and among them 54,547 are boys and 49,598 are girls. As per the survey, 99,624 children are without malnourishment, 4,377 are moderately malnourished and 144 are severely malnourished.
The authorities have classified the malnourished children into two categories — 0 to 3 years and 3 years to 6 years. As per the report, 26 boys and 39 girls below three years are severely malnourished while 1,112 boys and 1,220 girls between 3 years and 6 years are moderately malnourished.
Similarly, between 3 years and 6 years, 36 boys and 43 girls suffer from severe malnourishment and 988 boys and 1,057 girls suffer from moderate malnourishment.
Department of women and child development deputy director S Rajamurthy said parents must pay more attention to the health of their children and their development. “The department, after identifying the malnourished children, provides nutritious food which includes egg, rice, cereals, millets and milk powder. As anganwadi centres are shut due to the pandemic, the ration is being directly supplied to the households. Every month, 12 eggs are being provided to malnourished children and eight eggs to normal children,” he said.
Rajamurthy also said that free medical camps are being conducted every month to monitor the malnourished children and medicines worth Rs 2,000 will be provided to them every year.
The kids suffering from severe malnourishment are given six eggs per week. Special health camps are being conducted at the Primary Health Centres for the children who are suffering from malnourishment and severe malnourishment. The cause for the malnourishment is diagnosed to help these kids to gain weight, Divya Prabhu GRJ, Mandya Zilla Panchayat CEO told TOI. If the malnourishment is due to reasons like any ailments, or hereditary reasons, proper health care is provided and followed up.
“At Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences, we have set up a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) with 20 beds. Around 40 kids can be treated here. The parents are allowed to stay here with the kids. Experts will guide the parents in raising the kids with nutritional food. Because of our efforts now, the number of severely malnourished children has come down from 151 to 144,” she said.