Girls suffer malnutrition

Khammam: Gender discrimination is the same everywhere in our country and tribals are no exception. This was proved beyond doubt after a recent incident in a school in Bhadrachalam.

Vanaja, a girl student in the school collapsed in the classroom and she was rushed to the hospital. The doctors examined her and found that she was suffering from anaemia.

The government opened 3,250 angangwadi centres in Khammam district to offer nutritious food to kids but the officials seem to have failed in achieving the target. Further, it was found that the percentage of underweight girls, below five years of age, is higher than that of boys of the similar age.

Kantha Rao, a doctor working in Bhadrachalam, said children, particularly girls, were underweight, had stunted growth, were anaemic and showed symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency.

Nearly 900 girls out of 1,600 schoolchildren in Kothagudem mandal were found to be suffering from various eye-related problems due to malnutrition during preliminary check-up. Over 60 per cent of the affected girls are from tribal communities.

Malnutrition among schoolchildren has become a serious concern in Khammam district exposing the negligence of the officials in tackling the issue.

On the gender bias among tribals, Anif, who works with a voluntary organisation in Paloncha, said people in Agency areas too think on the same lines like those in urban areas. “Many of the tribals make girls work in their own houses without sending them to schools. However, in view of the special drive introduced by the government, some tribals had joined their girls in schools, though unwillingly,” he said. Forty pc of the 86,000 kids in the anganwadi centres are suffering from malnutrition.

The parents in sub-plan area who are suffering with the regular seasonal diseases were unable to extend best feed to their kids.