Mumbai: A report by Praja Foundation has highlighted the fact that while malnutrition and anaemia are major ailments among children studying in BMC schools, there are also other medical issues such as eye and nose defects, skin disorders, defective vision and lymphadenopathy. Going by the report, every second in nearly 4 lakh children enrolled in civic schools suffers from some health problem or the other but nothing is done by the corporation despite existence of an overall integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme.
According to Praja’s founding trustee, Nitai Mehta, the ICDS scheme is one of the Centre’s flagship programmes and represents one of the world’s largest and most unique programmes for early childhood care and development. Under this scheme, nutrition prescribed for malnourished children aged six to 72 months is 800 kcal and 20-25 gm per meal. However, BMC’s mid-day meal programme fails to meet these requirements due to which children are malnourished.
Mehta said, “The ICDS offers a package of six services, which include supplementary nutrition to existing meals, provision of pre-school informal education, health check-up and immunisation, nutrition and health education, and referral services.” However, lack of will to implement the scheme and lower number of employees for implementing services has resulted in aggravation of school children’s suffering.
According to statistics post conducting health camps, almost every second child in BMC schools suffers from some problem or the other. Vitamin deficiencies, orthopaedic defects, lung disorders, heart and circulation problems and tuberculosis are among other defects.
According to the report, the civic body needs to provide preventive services such as immunisation for class I students and tetanus toxoid immunisation for classes V and X students; curative services like free dispensary services for minor ailments, free hospital services in special school clinics, hospitalisation and operative services; rehabilitation services like providing special boots, callipers and spectacles; and educational services like parent interviews and parent-teacher meetings.
