A day after 150 students fall sick, National Rural Health Mission, Haryana on Wednesday decided to set up a helpline to guide those needing help in case of any side effects following the consumption of iron folic acid tablets during the ongoing campaign in the State. The helpline number will be made functional from Monday next.
Around 300 students, including 150 girls, suffered from nausea and complained of vomiting after consuming iron tablets in Government schools in several districts of Haryana on Tuesday. Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal asked the Health Department to start a helpline number for providing immediate assistance in case of any incident of minor side effects of tablets being given to children.
Bhukkal was presiding over coordination meeting with senior officers of Education, Health and Women and Child Development Departments. Principal Secretary School Education Surina Rajan, Principal Secretary Women and Child Development Shashi Bala Gulati, Mission Director of National Rural Health Mission, Haryana Rakesh Gupta, Director General Women and Child Development Renu Phulia, Additional Director Elementary Education Ritu and Mission Director NHRM Dr Rakesh Gupta and other officers were present in the meeting.
The Minister directed the officers to educate the teachers that these tablets to be given after mid-day meal. She said that iron folic acid tablets were being given to combat anemia among children. “We are providing nutritional food to children under mid-day meal. Sometimes, required essential nutrients are not of required level in the food, hence supplements like iron and vitamin C tablets are given to children,” she added. It is our duty to ensure health and nutrients to children. There was no major cause for worry as sometimes the children had minor side effects which could happen to anyone, she said.
The Minister said that a mid-day meal helpline number 0172-6531244 had also been functional where anyone can inform about quality of food being served to students during office hours under the scheme. Apart from this, any problem concerning the scheme could also be sent on email mdmhry@gmail.com. Fresh guidelines had also been issued for the smooth and effective implementation of mid-day meal scheme. Besides, all the officers have been directed to ensure proper monitoring of the scheme at all levels, she added.
Mission Director NHRM Dr Rakesh Gupta apprised the Minster that about 16 lakh students of Classes VI to XII were administered the iron tablets during the programme. There were some side effects but majority of the students didn’t show the side effects. He said that 100 mg tablets were being given weekly after consultation with the experts of medical fraternity. Wide publicity of the programme had also been made that tablet should be swallowed instead of chewing it. Proper diet should be given to the children and consumption of milk or milk products should be avoided with tablets of iron.