Chennai: Tamil Nadu has largely solved the problem of children surviving due to wastage, but hasn’t managed to keep them thriving, said health minister K G Arunraj on Thursday, announcing measures taken by the state to make sure children with developmental delays get treatment.
Between March and July, health workers screened 2,756 of the 2,773 children who attended vaccination sessions in Gummidipoondi and Ellapuram. The teams flagged 39 children for further assessment. Among them, 19 had growth faltering, nine had developmental delays and an equal number of children had birth defects. All 39 were referred, and recorded outcomes included treatment, continued observation and assessment finding the child normal, he said.
The department will publish how many children who were flagged received therapy, and how quickly, he said. “That is the number I will be asking my officers for, and it is the number I invite you to ask me for,” he said. Two children had diseases, said state National Health Mission additional director Dr K Vinay Kumar.
Meanwhile, public health officials presented results of a pilot programme that added growth and developmental checks to routine vaccination visits at two blocks in Tiruvallur.