HYDERABAD: The State government on Sunday announced the extension of the KCR Nutrition Kit programme across the State. The Health Department issued an order according to an administrative sanction of Rs 273.327 crore to the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare to implement the scheme.
The government has set a target of distributing 13.08 lakh kits through 1046 centres which will benefit 6.84 lakh pregnant women in 33 districts. Each kit is worth Rs 2,000. The kit includes 1 kg nutrition mix powder, 1 kg dates, 3 bottles of iron syrup, 500 gm ghee, a cup, 200 gm palli patti, and a plastic basket. The kits will be given once during the second antenatal care (ANC) checkup between 14-26 weeks and a second time during the third ANC checkup between 27-34 weeks.
The programme aims at reducing anaemia and increasing haemoglobin percentage in pregnant women by providing essential nutrients. The KCR Nutrition Kits programme has been implemented in nine districts, highly prone to anaemia, since December 21, 2022. A total of two and a half lakh kits were distributed to a total of 1.25 lakh pregnant women.
Finance and Health Minister Harish Rao expressed his gratitude for launching the programme and focusing on maternal and child care. The program aims to reduce maternal mortality, which has already seen a significant decrease in Telangana, from 92 in 2014 to 43 at present, according to the central government’s sample registration survey.
