Calling for help in making the underweight children in Gwalior well-nourished with sensitivity collector Ruchika Chauhan said, “It is said that even touching improves the health of children. With this feeling, arrange for massage of underweight children through Anganwadi centres with the help of trained midwives.
Bhopal: Underweight children in Gwalior district will get massage by trained midwives at Anganwadi centres to become well-nourished, as per a plan of the district administration.
Besides, the officials of women and children development (WCD) department will have to follow a To-do list to work methodically to identify and work on nourishing underweight children, as per instructions from the district collector.
The instructions from the collector Ruchika Chauhan came on Friday during a review meeting of woman and children development (WCD) department of the district, as per official information coming from the district.
Calling for help in making the underweight children well-nourished with sensitivity collector Ruchika Chauhan said, “It is said that even touching improves the health of children. With this feeling, arrange for massage of underweight children through Anganwadi centres with the help of trained midwives.”
She added the district administration would arrange for funds for the massage programme through Red Cross and other sources.
Instructing the WCD officials and underlining the need of a To-Do list the collector said, “Prepare a well-planned action plan to make underweight children completely healthy and well-nourished. Also make a to-do list relating to work to be done every day, every week and every month under the action plan.”
She emphasized coordination among officers and employees of Women and Child Development and Health Departments asking them to give a concrete shape to the action plan in such a way that no underweight child is deprived of benefits.
She also said a campaign will be launched in the district to make underweight children well-nourished with the joint efforts of the government and society. Under the campaign, children will be adopted by social service oriented and resourceful citizens.
Under a special campaign, she said, children with very low and low birthweight be identified and a list of such children be prepared. The ANM of the Health Department should reach Anganwadi and screen the children and make a list of such children and provide it to the Anganwadi worker to admit such children to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) so as to make them fully nourished.
“Also, prepare a separate list of such underweight children, who do not fall in the criterion of NRC and they are to be made fully nourished within the community with joint efforts.
She said efforts would be made to adopt children on the basis of the lists.
During the review of the distribution of nutritious food she sought information project-wise about the take home ration distributed in the last 6 months.
Collector warned that in a situation of irregularities, if found, action would be taken against the agency concerned. She expressed displeasure over the non-utilization of the beds available in the NRC, Bhitarwar.
