District endeavor to ensure eradication of malnutrition: DC Vijaya Jadhav

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Sept 6: “The district authorities are making a tangible effort to ensure eradication of malnutrition. We are going all out to see that no mother and child go unattended. The mothers of new born children are being briefed about the sources of nutrition in food including grains and vegetables. The district, in the course of Nutrition Month drive, has set up malnutrition cure at MTC centres in Potka, Mosabani, Ghatshila and Telco,” stated East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner, Vijaya Jadhav on efforts being made in the Nutrition Month drive launched on September 1.

In addition, all Sevikas and Sahaiyas of Anganwadis in the district have been instructed to keep an eye on women and newborns so that in case of malnutrition, they can immediately be referred to the closet MTC for cure. The treatment takes around four months of regular nutritious food diet.

A clear indication of the district administration’s resolve to hunt out and attend to malnourished mothers and new born children has been exemplified by Sevika Purneshwari Mahto of Bedahatu Anganwadi in Ulda Panchayat under Ghatshila Block. The Sevika along with her Sahaiya’s alertness saved an ‘over malnourished’ new born weighing barely 1.60 kg at birth, was nursed along with her mother. Five months later, the child grew up to a healthy baby weighing 5.5 kg.

Their care commenced when they visited the mother, Dipali Mahto’s residence and made her aware of the sources of nutritious food.

It may be mentioned that a girl child was born to Dipali Mahto at Jamshedpur’s Mercy Hospital on March 21, 2022. She weighed a mere 1.6 kg at birth and the Hospital medics put the child under ‘extremely malnourished’ category.

The Sevika and Sahaiya, in keeping with the Nutrition Month drive, advised the mother, Dipali Mahto of the sources of nutritious food. They told her about the availability of take-home nutritious value packs and the way of preparing these foods and the serving time gaps. The Sevika and Sahaiya visited Dipali at two day intervals to note how the food intake guidance was working. The five months of guidance resulted in the child’s growth to a healthy and absolutely nourished 5.5 kg in five months. Today, the child, Icy Mahto, is a bundle of energy.

Dipali had been explained the food value of breast milk that was to be given to the child for six months to ensure that her daughter was protected from infections. Moreover, breast feeding was related to adequate protein and other nutrients for the child. The Sevika and Sahaiya suggested that Dipali should take leafy and other green vegetables that would provide her and Icy with sufficient nourishment. And today, both, Dipali and Icy are standout examples of well nourished and healthy mother and child.

DC Vijaya Jadhav pointed out, “All Anganwadi workers have been directed to keep a tag on women, lactating mothers and new borns so that no one suffers from the ill effects of malnutrition and guide all residents in their respective command areas in taking nutritous food and the sources of availing such foods. Wherever necessary, the Anganwadi workers were to put malnourished children under the care of MTC centres. At these centres, all required medicines, nutritious food are provided free of cost. Treatment results in optimum height, weight and length of a child admitted to such centres. Hemoglobin count is done here to gauge the effect of nutrients. From malnourished to nourished is a journey that entails five months at the most. I give credit to Anganwadi workers who have slogged away to make the Nutrition Month a highly successful drive and this trek will continue.”

Continuing this trek beyond the one month nutrition programme is what, perhaps, the Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav had meant.