Daringbadi: In a chilling reminder to the spate of malnutrition deaths in Nagada that took the state by storm, many children in this block are reportedly suffering from malnutrition, given their frail constitution, sunken eyes and protruding bellies.
At least six children were reported to be affected by malnutrition while another 180 were in the red zone, said Rajesh Kumar Sahu, a doctor of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).
The matter came to fore after Sahu on his visit to Daringbadi identified a one and a-half-year-old malnourished girl in Maoist-infested area of Bhramarbadi panchayat.
Anikta Mallick, the seventh daughter of Pradyumna Mallick, weighed only four kilos since her birth. There has been no increase in her weight. She has a frail body with sunken eyes and a protruding belly.
The lifestyle adopted by tribals was said to be the reason behind malnutrition. Most of the tribals in the village survive on wild fruits, roots and seeds available in forests. Most of them often go without food when fruits and roots are not available.
Sahu on his visit to the area identified Ankita and admitted her to the district headquarters hospital at Phulbani. She has now been admitted to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), Sahu said, adding her condition was normal after treatment.
She is placed under extreme care and will be provided the best of treatment, Sahu added.
Reports said underdevelopment of the village points towards the futility of a slew of welfare programmes implemented by the government.
Although the village has an Anganwadi centre, parents do not allow their children to go to the distant centre for nutritious food due to lack of awareness.
The condition of Ankita and the six other kids shows that though tribal welfare has been a priority for both Central and state governments, tribal villages in Kandhamal district have remained backward due to absence of basic healthcare, education, communication and drinking water facilities.
Despite spending crores of rupees every year, the benefits of welfare schemes have failed to reach genuine beneficiaries, locals said.
There are 25 panchayats in Daringbadi block with over 180 children in the red zone of malnutrition, Sahu said.
Locals urged the district administration to send a medical team to the villages and identity other malnourished children and provide necessary treatment to them. PNN