Crusade Against Malnutrition: Baran's Fight for Sahariya Children

In Baran district, a spike in malnourished Sahariya children has been identified, spotlighting issues in government health services and ICDS. Amid staff shortages, 25 out of 172 children have been treated. Local leaders demand more funds and resources as the situation gradually improves.

At least 172 cases of malnourished children have been identified among Sahariya tribals in Baran district within two weeks, according to officials.

The affected children from the Shahabad-Kishanganj area were admitted to government-run Malnourishment Treatment Centres (MTCs), with 25 of them discharged after treatment. They continue to be closely monitored, officials said.

The surge in cases has raised serious concerns regarding the efficacy of government health services and the district's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) department.

The issue came to light when a malnourished Sahariya child was detected last week, prompting district collector Rohitashva Singh Tomer to launch a survey identifying malnourished children in the area.

Sahariya children are particularly prone to malnourishment due to their families' work commitments as migrant laborers. This often results in neglect of child care, making them susceptible to seasonal diseases, Tomer noted on Thursday.

A campaign launched in August aimed to identify malnourished children in the Shahabad-Kishanganj area, which revealed a significant number of cases. To cope with the influx of patients, bed facilities at MTCs in Baran district hospital and the community health center in Samrania were temporarily expanded.

Deputy Director of ICDS in Baran, Neeru Sankhla, indicated that the department is critically understaffed, which affects the functioning of essential monitoring and tracking systems. Currently, only two Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) are working against the sanctioned eight, and out of the 51 sanctioned posts for Lady Supervisors (LS), only 18 are active in the field.

Despite these challenges, the supply and distribution of nutrient-rich diets to Sahariya families have not been interrupted. However, the CSR budget for the "therapeutic diet" for Sahariya children has not been allocated this year.

The situation has drawn political attention. Kishanganj MLA Lalit Meena from the ruling BJP visited the MTCs last week to evaluate the healthcare facilities. He demanded new MTCs and increased funding for Sahariya families from Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

Former local MLA Nirmla Sahariya from the Congress blamed the BJP government for the dire state of the tribals, claiming the government discontinued beneficial schemes for Sahariya tribals. Approximately 40,000 Sahariya families live in the Shahabad-Kishanganj area, and their preference for multiple male children often exacerbates poverty and food scarcity issues.

The survey revealed that the majority of malnourished children have been identified, and only 1-2 cases remain, indicating a gradual improvement, noted Shahabad block chief medical and health officer in charge, Shekh Arif Iqubal.

(With inputs from agencies.)