Rehab centre at GKMCH supports 120 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition
KRISHNAGIRI: After a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) at Government Krishnagiri Medical College Hospital supported nutrition gain for 120 Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children in Krishnagiri district for the past six months, GKMCH Resident Medical Officer (in - charge) Dr K Sathyabama said more awareness will be provided for anganwadi staff and Primary Health Centres to share the details of children with SAM to health department.
"The state government has already established eight NRCs in the state, in addition to that four more centres that were inaugurated this April in Krishnagiri, Karur, Erode and Chennai. This centre will support weight gain for children with SAM below the age of five under the National Health Mission and will get round-the-clock care, counselling on appropriate feeding, social assessment of the family to identify and address the contributing factors, emotional care and post discharge follow-up," Krishnagiri NRC head Dr S Madhu told TNIE.
He added, "Acute medical conditions will also be managed by the paediatric ward and the child will be admitted for atleast seven to 10 days and once the child attains 20% of necessary weight gain from the admission according to their age and weight, they will be discharged. The village health nurse or the urban health nurse will do a follow up on the child and ensure at least five visits to NRC. Follow-ups will be conducted every month and will continue for four months after discharge."
"The details of discharged children will be shared to Block Medical Officers (BMO) and Child Development Project Officer (CDPO). Anganwadi staff from the centres will share the details of children with SAM to health department in the concerned block," Madhu said.
He further pointed, "Nutrition counselor at NRC will also follow-up and give training and demonstration to the care givers about the preparation of energy dense food with locally available and affordable food items. Besides that, a medical officer, a staff nurse and an exclusive kitchen will also be available for the children."
Since April 2025, 120 children were treated at the NRC, and among them, children from Mekalachinnampalli, Veppanahalli and Jagadevi, were more in number, while a few from Kelamangalam and Thalli and four from Thirupattur district were also reported.
NHM is allocating Rs 107 per child per day for food and `80 for the attender, Muthu said. "More awareness programmes need to be held for anganwadi staff and medical officers at Primary Health Centres at the block level. Similarly people should make use of the facility for the benefit of their children. Krishnagiri Collector C Dinesh Kumar has also asked the concerned departments to spread awareness about NRCs at ground- level," Dr Sathyabama said.
Krishnagiri District Health Officer Dr G Ramesh Kumar told TNIE that he has already instructed the BMOs and medical officers were to coordinate with anganwadi centres to regularly monitor the health of SAM children.
