Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh’s efforts to fight malnutrition are crumbling since the nationwide lockdown in view of the COVID-19 pandemic came into effect, particularly in the tribal-dominated districts of the state. The reason was the lack of facilities that could alleviate malnutrition while ensuring safety from contracting the coronavirus infection.

The Poshan Punarvas Kendra (nutrition centres) in the state, a facility where critically-malnourished children are provided medical and nutritional facilities, were shut due to the lockdown. At these centres, mothers or caregivers of malnourished children are also given skill-based training in providing necessary care and nutrition for the holistic development of children.

“The children who were admitted to the Poshan Punarvas Kendra during the lockdown were hurriedly discharged. It was not possible for them to be recalled later,” said Gagan Mudgal of CARD (Centre for Advanced Research and Development) India, expressing grave concerns over the state of malnourishment during the pandemic. “Due to the lockdown, children could not get even ready-to-eat foods, and other government schemes could not effectively benefit the poor either,” said Indira Dixit, an expert on malnourishment.

The health department decided to reopen the centres on June 25. “Now that the centres have reopened, the biggest challenge is to persuade the parents worried about contracting the coronavirus. Hence, the attendance of children at these centres remains dismal,” Mudgal told Gaon Connection.

The number of critically-malnourished children in the tribal-dominated Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur districts in the western region of Madhya Pradesh is quite high. As per the data released by National Nutrition Centre, Hyderabad in 2018, 54.6 per cent children were found malnourished in Alirajpur, 48.6 per cent in Jhabua and 38.5 per cent in Dhar. The state has not shown any sign of improvement yet.

“My 21-month-old child Ashu’s life is at risk due to malnutrition,” said Suman Bai of Ringnod village. “We are providing him with treatment for that. We faced problems for three months because the centre was closed due to the lockdown. When we had contacted the Anganwadi, it wasn’t functioning either,” Suman told Gaon Connection.

The Anganwadis (community crèches) not reopening also resulted in a dip in the number of children referred to the nutrition centres from there. Sheetal Agnihotri, a skill trainer at the Sardarpur Poshan Punarvas Kendra, stressed on the need for reopening Anganwadis. “Due to the closure of Anganwadi centres, their valuable assistance is unavailable. The Anganwadi workers and helpers are deployed elsewhere,” Sheetal told Gaon Connection.

The mother is required to stay back and spend a minimum duration of a fortnight with her child for the latter’s treatment at the Poshan Punarvas Kendra. Such women, mostly daily-wage labourers, have their own concerns, the most important being loss of wages during the stay. Sangita, from Dhulet village, informed Gaon Connection that her child was born malnourished. “I am even ready to live here, but I’ve to suffer a loss of wages while living here,” she said.

Still, women who work as daily-wage labourers turn up at the centre without prior notice. The present state of all Poshan Punarvas Kendra in the district, including the one at Sardarpur, is alarming. Not even 50 per cent of the individual capacity of the unit are recorded at these centres. Every centre has a capacity of 20 children.

“We have come here despite the fear of coronavirus hoping our child will be cured,” said Paimali Kunwar Singh, mother to a 12-month-old infant – Bheeshan – of Bhangarh village. “If the child’s life is saved, our efforts will be successful. I will also practice all that I have learned here on returning home,” she added.

“We now have to gear up to fight malnutrition under new conditions, for we simply cannot let malnourished children perish while waiting for the existing situation to get better,” Dixit said. “At present, the government does not have any information on the number of children who succumbed to malnutrition during the lockdown. More and more children should be referred to the Poshan Punarvas Kendra,” she said. Dixit is of the opinion that there should be additional arrangements in view of COVID-19 at these centres to avoid difficulties.

“We have instructed the concerned department and the field staff and officers to take special care in the treatment of the children brought to the Poshan Punarvas Kendra,” Alok Kumar Singh, Dhar’s district magistrate told Gaon Connection. “This has encouraged mothers to bring children at the centres,” he said.

The district magistrate also informed us that instructions have been given to ensure COVID-19 protocol at the centres.