Kendrapara: The fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) has published a worrisome report regarding the health of women and children in Kendrapara district, a report said Thursday. In comparison to the statistics given in NFHS-4, anaemia among women has registered a surge of over 16.5 per cent during the last six years, while among the kids the rise in cases is learnt to be an alarming 32.8 per cent. While in the NFHS-4, anaemia was detected in 26.7 per cent of the district’s children, it has increased to 61.5 per cent in NFHS5.
According to the health dossier2021 of National Health System Resource Centre (NHSRC) the district has 860 women in every 1000 men. The birth control measures are in worrisome condition. Over 64.7 per cent are not inclined to adopt birth control measures. Around 6.5 per cent children have failed to get vaccinated despite 96.7 per cent women delivering children in health centres.
Local intelligentsia claimed that the women and child health report in a coastal district like Kendrapara is matter of concern. Local intelligentsia Shibashis Mohanty, social activists Banambar Sahu, Jyoti Prakash Nayak, Pinaki Samantray said the NFHS-5 survey report has laid bare the chinks in the health system in the district. This is indicative of the fact that the welfare schemes of the state government and the Centre have failed to reach the people living in the lower strata of the society.
The National Health Mission and state health mission have implemented various schemes for the welfare of women and children while there is also a Swabalambi Yojana for the women. Crores are being spent under various schemes to uplift the district’s residents including women and children, but despite that anaemia has spread its tentacles among women and children. This has also raised question marks on the implementation of food security schemes. Apart from ration, the Women and Child Development department is distributing cooked and dry food. The district health department is also distributing iron and folic acid tablets to women to help them prevent occurrence of anaemia. The district has a population of over 16 lakh. Accordingly, the district has only 21 beds in the hospitals for one lakh residents. The district has 224 sanctioned posts of doctors but over half of those are lying vacant.
Moreover, most of the 226 health sub-centres providing basic healthcare service at the grass root level lack auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs). Various awareness programmes on healthcare for women and children have remained only in pen and papers. The issue assumes significance as majority of the women and children in Mahakalapara, Rajnagar, Rajkanika, Aul and Pattamundai blocks have been detected with anaemia. They demanded the district administration to intervene and start special programmes for health benefits of women and children. When contacted, CDMO Anita Patnaik said two out of last six years passed in Covid pandemic while the situation in Kendrapara district is better in comparison to other districts. The health workers and Anganwadi workers have distributed iron, folic acid tablets and other medicines to women and children for prevention of anaemia. Had they used the medicines, the situation could have been averted. It is also taking time to sensitise the Bengali speaking women and children living in remote corners of the district.