‘Medical camps are being conducted at all anganwadi centres’
Bijapur: Ramesh Zalki, Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, has said that in order to address the problem of malnourishment among children in the State, the government has decided to set up 20-bed nutritional rehabilitation centres (NRCs) in every district.
“The decision is part of one of the recommendations that the government has accepted following the report submitted by the High Court-appointed committee headed by Justice N.K. Patil on the status of malnourishment and remedial measures in Karnataka,” he said.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NRC set up on the old government hospital premises here on Saturday, Mr. Zalki said the government had started implementing 87 of the 112 recommendations given by the committee.
He said that the government had been conducting medical check-up camps at all anganwadi centres. Other recommendations such as providing electricity to anganwadi centres, drinking water facility and improving basic amenities were being considered, Mr. Zalki said, and added that funds had been granted for the purpose.
On the report submitted by the committee, the official said it has helped the government frame effective norms and provide better facilities in order to eradicate malnourishment in the State, mainly in backward north Karnataka.
Earlier, Mr. Patil said that it was the High Court that took cognisance of the severity of malnutrition based on a public interest litigation petition filed by an NGO based in Athani taluk of Belgaum district.
He said that after being appointed chairman of the nine-member committee, he had visited 15 districts and over 100 anganwadis to find out reasons for malnutrition and remedies to tackle it.
“One of our principal recommendations was to conduct regular medical check-up camps for children in the age group of zero to six, and later set up NRCs in each district to provide treatment,” he said.