MYSURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday ordered officials of the health and women and child welfare department to conduct health checkups of children at all government schools and to boost their immunity as experts have warned of a higher impact of the Covid third wave on children.
He said that local primary health centre doctors and staff will conduct health checkups of children between the ages of six and 16, while the staff of the women and child welfare department will provide nutritious food to malnourished children.
After chairing a review meeting on Covid here, Bommai said that the health department staff will also be conducting follow-up health checkups every fortnight as there are reports that 40 per cent of the State’s children are suffering from malnourishment.
On Covid-prevention measures, he said that the government is strictly screening passengers along interstate borders and letting in only those who have negative RTPCR report.
The health staff will work in three shifts at entry points of Mysuru district as the number of people on transit in the district is the highest after Bengaluru, he added.
Bommai said the government has sought more vaccines and is trying to vaccinate 1.5 crore people per month covering five lakh per day.
“We have directed eight border district administrations to vaccinate all the people within 10 km of the inter-state border and to increase testing in these areas,” he said.
‘State to get its GST share’
On Opposition parties asking the State to prevail upon the Centre to release Karnataka’s share of GST, Bommai said the Centre has released Rs 12,800 crore, while another Rs 11,300 crore is remaining.
“Union Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman has assured us that the money will be released,” he added. At the same time, he asked the officials to focus on tax collection and to use funds judiciously.
Bommai said the Centre has released Rs 1,023 crore under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme.
DR DEVI SHETTY PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Provide multi-nutrient supplements, along with milk, to children aged 6 months to 6 years and also for schoolchildren as part of Ksheera Bhagya.
The Ksheera Bhagya programme should be extended to include Anganwadi children.
Mid-day hot meal programme needs to be restarted on a war-footing after the lockdown is lifted.
It is recommended that the government explore food fortification with rice, atta, edible oil, salt and milk. This can be done as per the guidelines of Food Fortification Resource Centre set up by FSSAI.
Post-Covid recovery OPD centres should be developed at taluk/zone level for the early management of post-Covid complications, including MIS-C in children.