The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD to extend anaemia control project to schools

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Friday, Jul 11, 2008
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New Delhi

MCD to extend anaemia control project to schools

Staff Reporter

The programme will cover about 1.5 lakh children
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital will collaborate in it

NEW DELHI: Mayor Arti Mehra on Thursday said that after completion of the anaemia control programme in the Capital’s Shahdara North and Shahdara South zones, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has now decided to extend the programme to municipal primary schools in South Zone, Central Zone and West Zone.

Addressing a conference, the Mayor said the programme would cover about 1.5 lakh children of Classes IV and V in municipal primary schools of these zones and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital would continue to collaborate in the programme.

Looking at the meagre resources and infrastructure of the civic body, the Mayor said the contribution of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital would be helpful in implementing the programme. “Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has the necessary expertise and state-of-the-art diagnostic technology. Their medical experts would conduct the haemoglobin test of students with the technology approved by World Health Organisation, maintaining best quality standards,” she added. “Of our target of covering 1.5 lakh children, we plan to reach out to about 36,000 students within a period of two months.”

The Chairman of the MCD Medical Relief and Public Health Committee, Dr. V. K. Monga, said about 50,000 children had been examined under the programme undertaken in Shahdara North and Shahdara South zones.

“It is unfortunate,” said Dr. Monga, “that anaemia is a disease which is not taken seriously. During the previous phase of the programme it was found that some children had Hb percentages as low as 5 gm, 6 gm and 7 gm which was alarming. These children were examined further and also referred for investigation for thalassaemia traits. ”

The Chairman of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, B. K. Rao, who presided over the function, said: “All health-providing systems should contribute to this programme so as to control anaemia which is affecting physical and mental growth of the children. This initiative will help in screening of younger generation for prevalence of anaemia and treating it at an early age.”

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