MYSURU: In a disturbing revelation that exposes the state of child healthcare in Mysuru district, the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) operating at Cheluvamba Hospital was found virtually defunct, with empty kitchen boxes, no food, and not a single malnourished child admitted.
The shocking discovery came during a surprise inspection by Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) in-charge chairman Shashidhar Kosambe, who was disturbed by what he saw. The centre, meant to provide nutritious food and medical care to malnourished children under the National Health Mission (NHM), is lying idle, its purpose defeated.
The inspection team, which included KSCPCR member Tippeswamy and District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr Kumaraswamy, found the NRC kitchen in complete disuse -- no food is cooked, there is no activity in the ward, except two patients from the OPD made to rest there.
Officials, including head of the department of pediatrics and superintendent of the hospital accompanying the chairman, were left embarrassed when questioned about the non-functioning facility.
Two newborns share single warmer
The NRC was established to treat severely malnourished children (SAM category) through a combination of special diets, regular health monitoring and caregiver counselling.
However, the facility appears to have been reduced to a nameplate, a cruel irony in the Chief Minister’s own home district, where the state’s commitment to welfare and child health is under question.
To compound the situation, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the same hospital was overcrowded, with two newborns sharing a single warmer in almost all warmers, raising serious safety and infection-control concerns.
“The government has launched several schemes to address malnutrition among children. It is the duty of officials to ensure these benefits reach the eligible children,” Kosambe said after the inspection. He was informed that 91 children in the district have been identified as SAM, yet not a single one has been admitted to Cheluvamba NRC for care and treatment during his visit.
“This shows the government’s benefits are not reaching those who truly need them,” he said.