BENGALURU: The State is committed to reduce infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR), and unique programmes have been taken up to implement it, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Addressing the issue of malnutrition, he said efforts are being put into providing nutritious food to children in Anganwadi and labour camps. Inaugurating the Conference on Updates in Specialty Paediatrics (CUSP) on Sunday, he said all possible efforts were being made to bring IMR to a single digit.
Aspirational taluks have been identified to help them develop on the following parameters -- education, health, malnutrition, women and child health. Budget allocation for health and education has been increased, and priority is being given to address malnutrition, Bommai told the media. “We are giving top priority to malnutrition, and are providing nutritious food to children in Anganwadi and labour camps,” he added.
Praising the vision document mentioning birth deficiencies by Dr Arvind Shenoi, Clinical Director and head, Neonatology and Paediatrics of Rainbow Children’s Hospital, he requested the paediatric council to include pre-birth period in paediatrics.
The conference was preceded by workshops in neonatal ventilation, point of care ultrasound and neuro critical care in children, which was attended by more than 350 participants. The conference also dealt with recent updates in paediatric sub-specialities so they can diagnose and evaluate complex disorders in children confidently, said Nithyananda P, vice-president, Rainbow Children's Hospital.