Improved level of nutrition in marked children of age group 6 months to three years at Pulwari centre, situated in Pandopara areas of village Sitapur in the tribal populated Baikunthpur block of Koriya district of Chhattisgarh, has transformed their lives, officials claimed.
The Phulwari Scheme of Chhattisgarh Government’s Panchayat and Rural Development Department has turned out to be a boon for these children, who were earlier suffering from malnutrition, they stated.Pandopara is situated 25 km away from District Headquarters. Keeping in view the level of poverty and malnutrition in children here, a Phulwari centre was established in Pandopara.
Children suffering from malnutrition were classified into different categories as per their weights. Out of 12, 3 children were found to be normal, 4 were found to be suffering from malnutrition and 5 were diagnosed for severe malnutrition.
Under the scheme, mothers of these children ensure that the children wash their hands before and after having meal. They are served nutritious meal thrice a day. Boiled eggs are served to then four times a week. They are given antibiotics, iron and vitamin syrups. Moreover, they are given healthy and affectionate environment for playful activities. Every week, their body weight is checked.
As a result of the care and facilities provided at phulwari centre, these children have now reached the normal level of nutrition and their lives have improved.Notably, about 38 per cent of the 60,000 malnourished children targetted during the first and second phase of State government’s ‘Nav Jatan Yojana’ during 2012-14 have been cured within an action plan period of barely six months, officials informed.
Moreover, since year 2009, malnutrition eradication programme is also underway in the State, under which ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Sandarbh Yojana’ is being implemented in the State to provide healthcare through home-based management and additional health services to children with critical malnutrition condition, they stated.
Moreover, the third phase of Nav Jatan Yojana has already started in the State from September 1, 2014. To achieve Millennium Development Goal ofmalnutrition eradication and to prevent this condition in children, the State government has targetted 66,000 children under the third phase of Nava Jatan Yojana and has set the goal of curing malnutrition in 27,000 children in this phase. In the same sequence, this training programme was organized.
The Data collected during Vazan Tyohar ( Weighing Festival) in June 2014 shows that the level of malnutrition in the State has declined to nearly 33 per cent. As per the National Family Health Survey, the malnutrition level in the State in year 2005-06 was 52 per cent.It may be recalled that on August 25 this year, the Chhattisgarh government had announced that it has taken upon itself the challenging task of eradicating malnutrition among children below 3 years of age across the State.
The government has taken it as a challenge, and has chalked out an elaborate plan to eradicate malnutrition with the help of Anganwadi as well Phulwari centres, officials informed.Officials informed that it is the first scheme of its kind in the nation that Phulwari centres have been opened with the help of Gram Panchayats and Mitanins of Health Department in Chhattisgarh. In these centres, children are served nutritious meals three times a day. No government employee or worker has been appointed in these centres.
Instead, mothers of the children enrolled in Phulwari themselves attend the children and serve meal to them turn by turn. Provision has been made to enroll minimum 5 children and maximum 20 children in every Phulwari Centre.
As per the announcement of Chief Minister Raman Singh, ‘Phulwari Centres’ have already been started in 85 tribal populated development blocks of Chhattisgarh.The scheme has been formulated particularly to save children below 3 years of age from malnutrition and to improve their health.Panchayat and Rural Development Department officials had informed that the most important feature of this scheme is public participation, especially participation of mothers of such children.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had announced the scheme of opening Pulwari centres in 85 tribal populated blocks of the State, on the occasion of Republic Day last year. Within one-and-a-half years of his announcement, Panchayat and Rural Development Department has started opening Phulwari Centres in the development blocks concerned in a schematic manner.
This scheme of the State government is being recognized at a national level. The Central government’s Centre for Innovation in Public Systems in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) presented this scheme as the Best Innovative Activity in India, at its Foundation Day Function organized on May 14, 2014.
In this function, Chhattisgarh Government’s Panchayat Department was also invited. According to the officials, this scheme was started in Surguja district two years back in August, 2012 on an experimental basis.On the initiative of District Panchayat, 300 Phulwari centres were started. Considering the success of this experiment, the Chief Minister announced implementation of this scheme in all 85 tribal populated development block of the State.
After the commencement of the scheme, experts from Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru Allopathic Medical College conducted a study in association with UNICEF, and findings of this study have shown commendable success of this scheme.Within one year of enrolling at Phulwari Centres, the children underwent a decline in their malnutrition level from 45 per cent to 30 per cent and their health conditions have also improved.