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Maharashtra government fights malnutrition with expired medicines

8 schools in Thane district get outdated nutritional supplements.

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The Mikronutrient Supplement bottles that were supplied to eight schools.
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The state government’s plan to curb malnourishment has come under a cloud after it was found that eight ashramshalas in Thane district were supplied with expired nutritional supplements.

The shocking lapse could have jeopardized the health of over 1,500 students had it not been for the alert staff of the schools.

The social welfare board of zilla parishad have seized the past-used-by-date supplements and said the department had sent them ‘by mistake’.

Under the government’s programme to improve health of children in tribal areas, the social welfare ministry supplies nutritional supplements to state-run schools across Maharashtra. The tonic is to be consumed by the students before meal.

On January 30, seven ashramsalas from Talasari and one from Dahanu received 15 boxes, each containing 50 bottles, of “Mikronutrient Supplement” manufactured by Hindustan Laboratories, Palghar. The medicines had been procured by the social welfare board, zilla parishad, Thane.

However, the employees at the schools found that expiry date mentioned on the 200ml bottles was December 2011. The staff then reported the blunder to their seniors.

“This is a grave mistake by the state. Had the ashramshala employees not noticed it and given the tonic to the students, it could have been fatal. Severe action should be taken against concerned officials for this goof-up,” said Lahanu Shidwa Kom, former MP from Talasari.

Kom added that they had also written to the chief minister about the matter.

Talasari Tehsildar Ganesh Sangle promised strict action against erring officials. “I have instructed the block development officer to conduct an inquiry and submit a detailed report on the incident.”

At the time of going to press, it was not clear as to how the supplements, which had expired more than two years ago, were still a part of the stock maintained by the social welfare board. Moreover, as per the label on Mikronutrient Supplement, the product loses its usefulness after a year.

Salima Tadvi, social welfare officer, zilla parishad, Thane, apologised for the slip. She said, “It was a mistake, but no student consumed them. We have sent samples to the police and asked ashramshala authorities to destroy such medicines as and when they receive them.”

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