Mangalore, Nov 16: In a bid to mitigate malnutrition among children in Karnataka, the state health department has begun distributing'Ayush Pushti' biscuits for Anganwadi children below five years of age. These Ayurvedic biscuits manufactured by AYUSH department will be distributed to about 3,000 children in Bagalkot taluk and Jamakhandi area in Bagalkot district for a period of three months on a pilot basis, said Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader.
Addressing reporters at a press conference here on Saturday, he said that if the scheme proved successful on a pilot basis, it would be implemented in the entire state thereafter, with concentration on backward areas.
The biscuits, made from 15 medicinal plants and herbs, will increase immunity among children, along with an increase in concentration, better digestion and good sleep. These biscuits will be distributed to children on a day-to-day basis and their daily growth will be monitored. The quantity of the biscuits for each child will be calculated based on their nutritional requirement. About 200 Anganwadi teachers and 150 doctors are being given training in order to help facilitate this scheme. The data on each child will be collected and sent as a report to the health department every 15 days. The entire responsibility will be taken by the department, he said.
‘Rajeev Arogyashree Yojane' for APL card-holders
Extending the Vajpayee Arogyashree health-care scheme to APL families, Mr Khader announced the'Rajeev Arogya Shree Scheme' to cover tertiary care treatment for APL card-holders. Under this scheme, beneficiaries can avail quality tertiary medical care for treatment of identified diseases including neo-natal care for new-borns, treatment for burns, cardiovascular diseases, cancer treatment, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, neurological diseases, renal diseases and poly-trauma cases, in selected speciality hospitals in the state. Eligible beneficiaries will have to bear ten per cent of the cost of the treatment, while the rest will be reimbursed by the health department, he said.
He informed that the state government has agreed to allot an additional amount of Rs 80 crore for the health-care scheme, along with the initial sum of Rs 200 crore. This schemes will also be extended to government employees, migrant labourers and accident cases, he said.
Four-laning of Mani-Ullal stretch in Mangalore taluk
He said that a sum of Rs 7 crore had been sanctioned for the four-laning of the stretch between Mani and Ullal in Mangalore taluk, and work would commence within three months. For immediate repairs on the same stretch, the government has released Rs 30 lakhs for the purpose, he said.
Mr Khader also announced that he had been selected as one of the two representatives attending the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) scheduled to be held from 18 – 22 November in Bangkok, Thailand.
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