Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre in Rural Hospital

Background

Akkalkuwa and Dhadgaon blocks of Nandurbar district have the highest infant mortality rate in Maharashtra. As per NFHS 4, 15% of children in Nandurbar have Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), compared to 9.3% in all of Maharashtra. In addition, 40% of the children in Nandurbar have moderate acute malnutrition. However, these children do not have access to quality treatment and a 24x7 facility.

Intervention

Arising from the critical need a quality 24 x 7 facility in the area, a 10-bed Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) was sanctioned at Rural Hospital Molgi. UNICEF provided staff support in the form of four staff nurses, one dietician, and one cook. All the appointments related to the NRC were done on priority by Civil Surgeon of Nandurbar. SAM children with medical complications (between the age of six months to six years) are admitted to the NRCs for a 14-day treatment period.

These children are identified through screenings done by medical officers during their monthly AWC health check-up. Anganwadi workers facilitate admissions to the NRC by counselling parents about the health of their children. Health department through its ambulances provides transport facility as well.

During the treatment period, parents are given wage loss compensation of `100 per day. This helps in motivating parents to keep their children at NRC. The dietician at NRC conducts sessions on preparation of nutritious recipes from the vegetables grown from the kitchen garden in the NRC.

Impact

From May 2017 till January 2018, about 148 SAM children with complications were admitted at NRC RH Molgi. During this 14-day treatment stay at NRC, about 52 children had 15% weight gain. Four follow-ups of about 43 children for every 15 days after discharge have been completed. Daily sessions are conducted for mothers of admitted children to show preparation of nutritious food. 

Source : Aspirational Districts for WEB