18-month-old baby girl dies of malnutrition in Karjat

Mumbai: An 18-month-old baby girl allegedly died due to malnutrition at Karjat taluka’s Neral village on Friday. 

The baby, Sonali Bhasker, had been ill since October 5, when she was identified in a survey and provided dietary supplements. However, she ultimately succumbed to weakness, said a senior state health officer. Sonali weighed only 1.5kg, according to the officer.

Stating that the girl’s parents were given the necessary food supplements after she was detected with weakness, an officer told this newspaper, “We are trying our level best to tackle malnourishment among children.”

When asked whether all children falling under the malnourished category and expecting mothers in the taluka were availing of facilities provided by the government, the officer said, “We are implementing 17 types of schemes to tackle this issue, but since the parents are not very educated, we are struggling to make them understand the importance of taking their children for medical treatment and making them consume dietary supplements.”

Ashok Jangale, who is associated with Disha Kendra, an agency working on malnourishment, said that though Sonali was weak, her parents had failed to take her for medical assessment. “When the medico in the health post checked her, she was referred to city-based hospital, but her parents did not take her there,” he said.

Stating that half of the children residing in these areas were undernourished, Mr Jangale said that a few anganwadi sevikas, who were working in the area had resigned in July.