The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has issued guidelines to restart the weekly iron and folic acid supplement programme in the State.
T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said that earlier, the iron and folic acid programme was suspended. Subsequently, the quality of the tablets were tested in laboratories and re-checked. Now, detailed guidelines on the distribution of weekly iron and folic acid syrup/tablets for children in the age group of six to 59 months, five to nine years and 10 to 19 years were issued to restart the programme from Thursday.
All Deputy Directors of Health Services were told to ensure the availability and adequate supply of syrup/tablets and maintain buffer stock at primary health centre/health sub-centre/schools level. Iron and folic acid syrup should be given on Monday and Thursday for children aged six to 59 months, while tablets should be given on every Thursday for children aged five to nine years and 10 to 19 years.
