Members of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) have expressed anguish over District Health and Family Welfare Officer Rajashekar Mali failing to provide the relevant information regarding maternal mortality rate (MMR), infant mortality rate (IMR) and the number of malnutrition cases reported from Kalaburagi district.
The KSCPCR members were presiding over a district-level meeting to review the implementation of Protection of Child Rights by various departments here on Tuesday.
Commission members Shashidhar Kosumbe and Aparna M. Kolla took Mr. Mali to task for coming to the meeting without preparation.
The members were irked over the lack of coordination between the officials of the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Women and Child Welfare, as data for severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition cases in the district, provided by the Health Department varied from that of the Women and Child Welfare Department.
The Commission members expressed concern over the sorry state of affairs in the functioning of the anganwadi centres across the district and asked why food is not being supplied properly in many anganwadis. They pointed out that some of the anganwadis have not received eggs for the last six months, there is inadequacy in providing basic amenities and many anganwadis are also grappling with shortage of supervisors, anganwadi workers and helpers.
In his reply, Deputy Director for Women and Child Welfare Naveen Kumar said that “there are 3,500 anganwadi centres in the district and it is a hard task to monitor all of them. I have to attend at least 60 to 70 meetings every month,” he said.
Ms. Kolla asked Mr. Naveen Kumar to give the same in writing. When officials in other districts can monitor and ensure that their anganwadis are functioning properly, why can’t you do it, she asked him.
The members also expressed concern over the lack of facilities at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) in the District Hospital.
Additional Superintendent of Police N. Srinidhi said that 99 missing cases involving children less than 14 have been registered in the district during the last three years (2021 31 cases, 2022 34 cases and 2023 34 cases). The District Police have solved 85 cases and the remaining [14] cases are in various stages of investigation, he added.
The other members of the Commission K.T. Thippeswamy and S. Manju were present.
