Conduct Anaemia Detection Tests in Private Schools: CS

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy has instructed officials to conduct anaemia detection tests among students in private schools in the state at the end of December. He said that Village Health and Nutrition Day should be
organised on the first and third Fridays of every month to raise awareness
among the masses. He reviewed with the officials the achievement of the
specified sustainable development goals related to medical health, women and
child welfare, and education departments at the state secretariat on
Thursday.

Dr Jawahar Reddy instructed the officials to take strict measures to prevent
anaemia and malnutrition among pregnant women, infants, and children. He
said that by providing nutritious food to anaemic and malnourished infants
and children, they could be freed from the problems. The CS ordered the
officials of the medical health and women and child welfare departments to
keep the data on high-risk pregnant women and monitor their health condition
regularly. He clarified that special measures should be taken to eliminate
anaemia, lack of growth, and malnutrition among teenage girls, and he
directed the district collectors to take special care and review regularly.

The CS ordered the state school education commissioner Suresh Kumar to
complete screening tests for the prevention of anaemia among the students
studying in all the private schools in the state by the end of December,
regarding the improvement of their health conditions.

Dr Jawahar Reddy also said that actions should be taken to give special
awards to the best-performing villages, such as village-level Healthy Baby
Shows, and measures should be taken to achieve the specified sustainable
development goals in relation to medical health, women and child welfare,
and education departments.

Special Chief Secretary of the medical health department M.T. Krishna Babu
explained the various sustainable development goals achieved in various
aspects related to the department. Chief secretary of the women and child
welfare department G. Jayalakshmi said that to prevent stunting in children
who were not growing properly and were underweight, iron folic syrup and
take-home ration kits were being distributed through Anganwadi centres, and
cooked food was being provided. Education commissioner Suresh Kumar said the SDG goals for education had been achieved.

Commissioner of medical health department J. Niwas, special secretary of
housing department Diwan Maiden, and other higher officials participated in
this meeting.