Maharashtra's Minister for Tribal Development Madhukar Pichad admitted in Thane on Monday that large scale malnutrition deaths occurred in Thane district of Maharashtra due to non-availability of proper medical infrastructure and health care facilities. Pichad said this while visiting the predominantly tribal Jawhar and Mokhada talukas of Thane district on Monday, where large scale child deaths have been reported since the last three months.
It may be recalled that it was way back in 1992, there were large scale child deaths in Jawhar after which the state government had initiated several measures which had worked initially, though things seem to have gone back to square one since the last two years resulting in large scale child deaths. Pichad, accompanied by Minister of State Rajendra Gavit, paid a visit to tribal residential schools and the primary health service centre as well as the rural hospital at Jawhar.
In order to reduce large scale malnutrition deaths, he said that stress would be laid on providing health care to infants and pregnant women, he said. He said that there was dire need to educate womenfolk about the health care programmes. There is a lack of coordination between the tribal development department, the women and child welfare department as well as the health department, which needs to be attended on a priority basis, he said.
"Our priority will be to give utmost importance to healthcare facilities in rural areas to reduce malnutrition deaths," he said. It was officially stated that he will tour Sahapur taluka on Tuesday, since he was informed that deaths are on the increase in that area.
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