The State government has decided to increase the intensive care beds in two hospitals in the malnutrition-hit Jawhar and Mokhada in Palghar district to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality.
Jawhar’s Kutir Sub District Hospital will get an additional 16 beds in its existing 12-bed Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU), and the rural hospital in Mokhada will get three more beds in its existing two-bed newborn care unit.
Blood bank on cards
Health Minister Deepak Sawant said on Monday that he has called for a meeting with the Public Works Department officials and local health authorities to discuss the plan. “We also plan to start a blood bank in Kutir Sub District Hospital.” Dr. Sawant said the government will seek help from philanthropic organisations and corporate social responsibility arms of various organisations.
The Minister said that the overall rate of malnutrition in the region has reduced by nearly 40% due to the ongoing work by senior doctors from Mumbai, and various initiatives like focusing on mothers’ nutrition and routine examination of newborn children. Dr. Sawant visited the area on Sunday.
Utmost importance
According to Palghar civil surgeon Kanchan Wanere, the SNCUs are equipped with warmers, oxygen supply, radiant warmers and other equipment that is extremely important to resuscitate newborn babies who are born underweight or suffer from infection or congenital anomalies. “We utilise these beds to stabilise the newborns so that the golden hour is not lost,” said Dr. Wanere. The bigger public and private hospitals are 60 to 70 km away from Nashik and Palghar city. Therefore, fully equipping the rural set-up is of utmost importance.
In 2017, the region had reported 4,564 malnourished children till November. Of these, 499 had Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 4,065 had Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). There were no malnutrition deaths reported during this period. Till November 2017, as many as 323 children succumbed due to other causes.
Challenges
Last year, the State formulated a malnutrition task force for the district. A Child Treatment Centre was also started in eight primary health centres in Jawhar and Mokhada. A senior doctor said that a significant challenge is that most families temporarily migrate for work, hampering ongoing treatment.
Experts stress that there is a need for a different approach to malnutrition, through welfare programmes and community outreach. They call for sustainable economic development, and improving livelihood and sanitation.
