Eleven out of 16 children with severe acute malnutrition in Tajakot Rural Municipality of Humla have been sent to the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences for treatment due to the lack of a nutrition rehabilitation center in the district.
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Eleven children found to be malnourished in Tajakot Rural Municipality of Humla have been taken to Jumla for treatment. The health branch of Tajakot Rural Municipality has sent 11 severely malnourished children to Karnali Institute of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Jumla for further treatment.
During the nutrition assessment in all the settlements of Tajakot-1 to 5 wards, 11 children under the age of 5 who were found to be severely malnourished have been sent to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center, Karnali Institute of Health Sciences, Jumla. 10 mothers have reached the institute together for treatment of their children. According to the Tajakot Health Branch, the children who were found to be severely malnourished are between the ages of 6 months and 3 years.
The health branch of the municipality has spent two weeks checking the nutritional status of children in all 5 wards. The nutritional status of a total of 650 children was checked by mobilizing female health volunteers, health workers and all the manpower of the health branch in the village. Of these, 16 children were found to be severely malnourished. Although 50 showed signs of danger, they were cured with regular treatment and 584 children were found healthy, said Dhanraj Dhakal, the health branch coordinator of the municipality and head of the Maila Health Post in Ward 2.
According to him, 11 of the 16 children who showed signs of severe malnutrition have been sent to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center at the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences. He informed that discussions are underway on where to send the 5 children.
He said that health workers and volunteers are being deployed at the doorsteps of 50 children who showed signs of malnutrition and are being taught health education and how to make the best flour. 'The treatment of 11 children with severe malnutrition was not possible in the district and they were referred to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center at the Institute and the Provincial Hospital in Surkhet,' said Coordinator Dhakal. In the first phase, the health branch at the municipality assessed the nutritional status of children across the rural municipality and the female health volunteers indicated severe malnutrition (red card).
In the second phase, when the re-examination was conducted at the Maila health post, it was found that treatment was necessary at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center. The rural municipality has made arrangements to take the children to the hospital for treatment. The Nutrition Rehabilitation Center operated at the hospital will be responsible for their care until the treatment period. The child's arm measurement, height and weight are taken to identify the nutritional status. The children are measured every month by the volunteers. It was found that the weight and height of those children were not increasing according to their age and were not eating.
On April 14, Tajakot rural municipality had sent a letter to the foundation requesting that the malnourished children be placed in the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center for treatment. Mahendra Hamal, nutrition manager of the institute, said that children with nutritional problems will be treated for 2 to 6 weeks. Dr. Kamal Thani, hospital director of the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences, informed that the children will be sent home as soon as their health improves.
Nanda Bahadur Shahi, information officer of the Health Service Office, Humla, said that although treatment services for mild and moderate malnutrition are provided in every health institution in the district, there is no option to refer children with severe malnutrition. ‘Treatment of mild and moderate malnutrition is possible in all 26 health institutions in Humla,’ he said. ‘Treatment of severe malnutrition is not possible in the district until there is a nutrition rehabilitation center. Currently, they have to be sent to Karnali Provincial Hospital or Karnali Institute of Health Sciences, Jumla, for further treatment.’ He said that if severe malnutrition is found in young children, there is no option to refer them to a nutrition rehabilitation center.
Earlier, ‘OTC Centers’ were operating at Maila and Madana health posts in the district for the treatment of malnutrition. Both OTC centers have been closed for almost two years after the State Nutrition Division stopped providing RUTF (uncooked food). When the OTC centers were operational, RUTF food was given to malnourished children.
Dr. Umakanta Tiwari, head of the Health Service Office, Humla, said that the problem of malnutrition among children here is increasing due to marriage at a young age in rural areas, lack of nutritious food after childbirth, and feeding them junk food. He said that the malnutrition situation in the district has been being studied for a year. According to him, the malnutrition situation is alarming in all local levels in Humla except Namkha. He said, ‘The malnutrition situation in Humla is alarming.’ That is why regular screening has been going on for a year. He said that regular screening is being done through volunteers. In Karnali, only Karnali Provincial Hospital Surkhet, Karnali Institute of Health Sciences Jumla and Dailekh District Hospital have nutrition rehabilitation centers. Dr. Tiwari said that the fourth rehabilitation center in Karnali is going to be established in Humla. According to him, the service of the nutrition rehabilitation center in Humla will start from Shrawan 1 at the latest.
