Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asked officials on Wednesday to ensure that the people with anaemia and malnutrition are identified in the ongoing YSR Jagananna Arogya Suraksha programme and given nutritious food as also medicines.
Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to closely monitor the Sampoorn Poshan programme and said haemoglobin tests should be conducted on pregnant women, infants and children every month.
Officials, he said, must keep a constant vigil on the functioning of the supervisory system in the Anganwadis to attain the intended results of YSR Sampoorna Poshana, the CM said during a review meeting he held with the women and child welfare department here.
He said that strong SOPs should be developed to help the supervisory system function efficiently while officials should also focus attention on dry ration distribution to ensure the quality of items. Fill all the vacant posts in the department, he said.
The chief minister said, “The health department should take the responsibility of serving medicines to the anaemic patients and victims of malnutrition identified in the Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha camps. The women and child welfare department will serve them nutritious food,” he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy stated: “Constant vigil is necessary to find out if the anaemic patients are actually consuming the nutritious food being served to them and if they are making any progress. This will help us completely eradicate anaemia among the rural population.”
These efforts should be supplemented with steps to identify the children and pregnant women who missed vaccination, he said, adding that this should be done with the active involvement of ANMs in the villages.
He also told officials that underweight children should be identified and necessary steps taken to raise their weight on par with their age by giving them nutritious food. There is also the necessity of registering the details in the app for extending them the necessary support,” he said.
“The Health department should pass on the details to the women and child welfare department to ensure timely supply of nutritious food. “Changes in our lifestyles are resulting in new diseases. Every month, at least one camp should be conducted to spread awareness on such diseases and on the steps needed to overcome them,” he told the officials.
The chief minister said haemoglobin tests should be conducted every month on children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Women and child welfare minister Ushasri Charan, principal secretary Jayalakshmi, commissioner M Janaki, finance secretary KVV Satyanarayana, APDDCF MD Ahmed Babu, school education commissioner (infrastructure) K Bhaskar, APSCSC managing director Veerapandian, health and family welfare commissioner J Nivas were among those present.
