In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and anganwadis got together to conduct a health camp focussing on issues related to child malnutrition and related maternal care.
The BBMP is organising the camp in 135 centres in the city. On Sunday, the first day of the initiative, 2.22 lakh children were screened, of which 1,271 were identified as suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Nearly 2,700 health workers were involved in the programme that included awareness building sessions, free health check-ups and free distribution of nutrition health kits (nutrition powder packets of 500 grams and wheat bags of 5 kg) to pregnant women and mothers taking care of children aged less than six.
The camp was inaugurated at the Dasappa Maternity Home, a government medical institute. This initiative is in response to a directive by the Karnataka High Court, issued on June 16 in response to a public interest litigation petition, pulling up the government for not doing enough to tackle malnutrition.
Inaugurating the event, High Court judge N.K. Patil said: “It is necessary to ensure children’s good health during their childhood for a bright future. This initiative should reach out to all children aged less than six, and to pregnant women.”
BBMP Commissioner M.K. Shankarlinge Gowda said that in addition to these camps, health department officials had visited households in the city to create awareness and to identify children suffering from malnutrition to offer them better healthcare. This drive was taken up on July 8, he said. Two weighing machines, used specifically for weighing children, were launched here.
K.E. Manjula, Chief Health Officer, BBMP, said that the programme aimed at identifying malnourished children in areas and sectors that are not covered under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, a Union government scheme. “We are conducting various health camps all over the State and these are doing well in Bangalore. It is our duty to ensure the mental and physical health of the children as they are the future of this country,” she said.
