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Anaemia hits kids in Agency areas
Under-14 tribal students are suffering from several health disorders in the Agency areas. There are 46,000 students of under-14 and out of them 25,000 students are suffering from anaemia in the Agency areas in 11 mandals. On an average, two students are succumbing to anaemia in the Agency area and last year, a total of 25 students died of anaemia. The medical and health department officials are
Though the tribal welfare, women and child welfare departments are supplying nutritious food to the children through Anganwadi Centres, there is no improvement in the students’ health condition
Visakhapatnam: Under-14 tribal students are suffering from several health disorders in the Agency areas. There are 46,000 students of under-14 and out of them 25,000 students are suffering from anaemia in the Agency areas in 11 mandals. On an average, two students are succumbing to anaemia in the Agency area and last year, a total of 25 students died of anaemia. The medical and health department officials are also found sickle cells in the blood.
Highlights:
- Owing to the severity of the issue, the parents of students are expressing their anguish and urging the government to save their children
- According to the standards, the minimum haemoglobin level in the body must be 11 per cent whereas the tribal children are having only six to eight per cent
Sickle cell is very dangerous and kills the red cells in the blood. Patients can survive only with the blood transfusion. Though the tribal welfare, women and child welfare departments are supplying nutritious food to the children through Anganwadi Centres, there is no improvement in the students’ health condition.
Owing to the severity of the issue, the parents of students are expressing their anguish and urging the government to save their children. According to the standards, the minimum haemoglobin level in the body must be 11 per cent whereas the tribal children are having only six to eight per cent.
“We have already noticed about the severity of the issue. It is true that 60 per cent of 46,000 under 14 tribal children are suffering from anaemia. We are preparing an action plan to tackle the issue. Special teams will be deployed to conduct blood tests to all the students. At present, we are supplying iron tablets and ensuring every student should consume.
The trained staff was already deployed to collect the blood samples from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and other hostels and more teams wuld be be deployed soon,” said additional district medical and health officer Paderu G Gurunadha Rao.
During this month, three deaths, including that of a third standard girl, K Sameera, and a lactating mother in Pedabayalu and Munchingput mandals respectively and another girl in the hostel. In Visakhapatnam city also, a large number of pregnant women are suffering from less haemoglobin levels.
As many as 23,000 pregnant women registered their names with the medical and health department and out of them 2,500 pregnant women are suffering from anaemia. Though the situation is turning into bad to worse, the district administration is not gearing up to attend the issue.
When contacted, district medical and health oR Ramesh said that the special teams have been pressed into service and iron tablets were distributed and sucrose injections administered to pregnant women. Necessary steps have been taken increased the haemoglobin levels. The department is also sending more teams to attend the issue, Ramesh added.
By Jatlee Dontala
