Cases of malnutrition have been detected among children living in shelters in earthquake affected districts, but despite advice from health workers they haven’t been taken to hospitals. A study conducted by Child Health Division under Department of Health Services (DOHS) showed that 422 children between 6 months and five years out of the 1,055 referred for further treatment for severe undernourishment haven’t gone to hospitals. The survey looked at the nutrition status between 28 June-5 July in Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, Ramechap, Gorkha, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading, Kavre, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Sindhuli, Makawanpur and Okhaldhunga. Ten thousand others were found to be underweight or stunted.
“It is worrying that the children with severe malnutrition haven’t reached hospitals,” said Girija Raj Subedi of the Nutrition Division which had deployed 10,000 Female Ccommunity Health Volunteers, 4,000 health workers and 900 others for the study in which they went house-to-house. The surveyors also looked at the condition of pregnant and lactating women after the earthquake and distributed vitamin A, iron and folic acid tablets, promoted supplementary food, breast feeding and nutritious food. Over 40 per cent of children in Nepal under 5 were stunting due to lack of nutrition even before the earthquake. Eleven per cent suffered wasting and 46 per cent had anemia.
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