• Child Rights Panel Chairman expresses resentment over discrepancy
• Facility to treat malnourished kids at Cheluvamba Hospital has no takers
• Boxes of cereals, grains to prepare special diet for treatment found empty

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru district has identified 91 malnourished children, yet the beds at the exclusive ward meant for the treatment of affected children at Cheluvamba Children’s Hospital in the city remain empty, alluding at the discrepancy in reaching out to the needy.

Shashidhar Kosumbe, Chairman of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), expressed his resentment over lacunae noticed in the treatment of children suffering from malnutrition, during his inspection visit to the city yesterday.

Kosumbe, who enquired the health of children suffering from malnutrition, inspected the children’s ward, new-born kids ward, kitchen and other facilities at the hospital, besides interacting with the parents of the children, to collect their feedback.

Empty boxes

What angered Kosumbe was, the lack of required ingredients to prepare 32 types of nutritious diet to boost the health of children. As per norms, undernourished children, should be provided grains and cereals. However, most of the boxes meant to store the ingredients, kept in the kitchen were empty, only to irk the visiting dignitary.

When the doctors present during the inspection, apprised Kosumbe over filing the indent for obtaining essential ingredients, the latter reprimanded them, for not preparing the indent beforehand.

“You (doctors) hold the responsibility of protecting the health of children, but it is condemnable that there is no stock of essential ingredients to prepare nutritious diet,” he said.

The new-born children’s ward was inspected only to find two kids sharing the same warmer, following which the hospital authorities were warned against repeating the same.

Many programmes…

Speaking to media persons, he said, ‘The Government has implemented several programmes to eradicate malnutrition among children. The officials have been told to take steps to reach the benefits to eligible beneficiaries. The target is to bring down the number of such kids by providing required treatment and cure them.’

The authorities should identify affected 91 children and treat them in shifts and a report in this regard should be submitted to the Commission. Or else, action will be taken against the authorities concerned, he warned.

Change the board

The Child Rights Panel Chairman also instructed the officials to replace the board of Malnourished Children’s Rehabilitation Centre with Malnourished Children’s Rejuvenation Unit.

KSCPCR Member Dr. Thippeswamy, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy and Medical Superintendent of Cheluvamba Hospital Dr. Sudha were present during the inspection .