Village Child Development Centre to be started in Maharashtra: Minister for health

In the wake of deaths allegedly due to malnourishment in neighbouring Palghar, Maharashtra Health Minister Dr Deepak Sawant has directed the local administration to start Village Child Development Centres (VCDC) on a priority basis.

The minister yesterday visited five primary health centres (PHCs) in the district and also inspected the manner in which malnourished children and mothers were being treated. His visit comes after National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to state government on Thursday over the large scale deaths of children in Palghar, especially in Mokhada taluka, allegedly due to malnourishment.

The five centres included Shenva, Takipatar, Dolkhamb, Kasara and Khardi. He directed the medical teams to register pregnant mothers on time, and provide them with medicines on time and also keep 108 Ambulance services available round the clock.

Sawant also directed the teams to start VCDC for better child care and also instructed that those needing further treatment should be sent to Child Treatment Centre (CTC) and Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRC).

He directed district health officer B S Sonawane to explore the possibility of setting up a trauma care centre at Kasara and a rural hospital at Dolkhamb village and asked him to submit a proposal to the government in this regard.