Maharashtra: Infant malnutrition deaths rock village in Palghar

Two infants from the village of Savarde in Palghar districtmdashwhich is plagued by crumbling health infrastructure and lack of access to nutritious foodmdashdied of malnutrition within a gap of two weeks One of the deceased 11monthold Durva Kalpesh Nimbare died on December 30 2022 after being taken to three hospitals while the other Renuka Suraj Mukne who was barely four months old succumbed on January 11Savarde is located 60 km from Mokhada taluka in Palghar district An activist told midday that Durvarsquos kin could not avail of an ambulance to cover the 30km distance from their home to the primary healthcare centre in Khodala where she was rushed at the familyrsquos expense The deaths have forced local politicians to make a beeline to Savarde over the past few daysThe deputy sarpanch of the village Hanumant Padir alleged that government officials are trying to bury the matter ldquoThey are asking me not to speak to the media as the matter defames the village But I cannot remain silent when two tribal children died of malnutrition as no nutritious food is being distributed by anganwadi kindergarten workers among new mothers and their babies in the villagerdquo Padir told middayRenuka Muknersquos relativesldquoEvery year at least a dozen children die of malnutrition in this villagerdquo he added Medical practitioners claimed that the babies succumbed to severe pneumonia and septicemia or blood poisoning caused by bacteria An official incharge of a trust that provides free medical care to malnourished children and their mothers in the neighbouring Jawhar taluka Sita Ghatal visited Savarde and learnt that the girls were underweight ldquoThey fell under the severe acute malnutrition SAM categoryrdquo she saidDurva was staying with her grandmother when she fell sick in midDecember ldquoHer parents Kalpesh and Savita earn their livelihood at a brick kiln factory in Bhiwandi Her grandmother rushed her to Khodala Primary Health Centre around 30 km away from Savarde But doctors there referred her to Mokhada Rural Hospital on the same day After her condition started to further deteriorate Durva was referred to Cottage Hospital in Jawhar and after being admitted there for a few days she passed away on December 30rdquo Ghatal told middayAlso Read Palghar Cash valuables stolen from templeMeanwhile Padir alleged ldquoThough Durvarsquos actual weight was around 45 kg when she died anganwadi workers had wrongly mentioned it as 92 kgrdquo ldquoAs per the rules anganwadi workers have to maintain a register to mention the details of every newborn and new mother in the area so that the nutritious food sanctioned to them under various governmentrun schemes can be made available to them But when Durva was being taken to hospitals the anganwadi workers had underreported her weight to pocket the rations I have complained to the competent authority about this seeking immediate actionrdquo Padir saidAccording to Ghatal though Savarde is accessible via road children there often suffer from dehydration and malnutrition Unlike Durva Renuka died in Paigaon in Bhiwandi taluka ldquoRenuka hailed from Savarde but since her parents work at a brick kiln in Bhiwandi she was there The baby weighed only 15 kg She also died of malnutritionrdquo Ghatal saidldquoIn March last year Renukarsquos elder sister who was only one year old died of malnutrition Her threeyearold paternal aunt too passed away due to the same reason So this is the third death in the past year and all the deceased succumbed to malnutritionrdquo Ghatal saidThe medical superintendent of Cottage Hospital Dr Ramdas Marad said ldquoDurva was brought to our hospital on December 25 and she weighed 69 kg Her health condition deteriorated after five days and she died of severe pneumonia and septicemiardquo ldquoAt present there are two children in our hospital and they are suffering from malnutritionrdquo Dr Marad told middayMeanwhile Vivek Pandit chairman Tribal Development Review Committee Maharashtra said ldquoThe medical cause of death of these children is severe pneumonia but the root cause of their death is malnutritionrdquo ldquoThe question arises why did the deceased lack resistance to fight pneumonia The answer there was no proper nourishmentrdquo Pandit told midday