PUNE: Medical and community health officers of the Pune Zilla parishad (ZP), who screened 3. 2 lakh children up to six years of age residing in rural areas of Pune in the last month, have identified 2,099 malnourished and 5,201 children who probably require medical intervention.
These identified children will be checked by specialists and guided by dieticians. The Pune ZP will conduct free blood tests and body scans to recommend medical, surgical, and nutritional intervention. Among the detected malnourished children, 1,695 were moderately acute whereas 404 were severely acute.
The data was entered into a diagnostic support software system to assist doctors in accurate diagnosis.
Bhagwan Pawar, health officer of Pune ZP, said apart from malnourishment, children were a lso diagnosed for skin diseases, birth defects, ear, nose, throat and auditory issues, deficiencies, childhood disease and opthalmologic problems. The maximum cases were diagnosed with ENT issues followed by certain deficiencies in children.
Pawar said, “A plan is being formulated for the bene- fit of the children surveyed and their deficiencies especially related to malnourishment. Gram panchayats have been told to provide diet charts to women and children that would enhance the health. ”
