The district administration has launched a novel initiative by which pregnant women, especially those who are anaemic, can get greens from the Primary Health Centres, said Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver here on Friday.
Launching the rooftop garden initiative at the Tiruvetriyur Primary Health Centre (PHC), he said there were 59 PHCs in the district. In phase one, it had been proposed to take up rooftop garden in 20 PHCs. With fund support from the Tamil Nadu Grama Bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity, the project would be taken up.
The objective was multi-pronged, said Mr. Dinesh and added that the greens raised in the rooftops would be given to the young pregnant women, who required iron, protein and vitamin. “Remaining healthy and fit during the pregnancy period is very important,” he noted.
Apart from the doctors and para-medical teams at the PHCs, the role of the village health nurses (VHN) in monitoring the pregnant mothers was pivotal. Hence, patients, who visited the PHCs would be given the greens and the VHNs would do the follow-up, the Collector said and added that in the process of raising the rooftop garden, the premises would also be kept clean.
The water required for the garden was very minimum, he said and hoped the project would benefit the womenfolk in the district so that they can make up for their deficiencies by consuming rich greens which have sufficient minerals.
The respective Block Development Officers and other designated officers would be monitoring the programme, the added. The Deputy Director (Health) Porkodi, AD (Panchayat) V. Kesavadasan, Lead District Manager D. Karthikeyan, TN Grama Bank General Manager S. Damodaran, Regional Manager S. Kannan and other officials participated in the inaugural function.
