In the two villages of Mokhada and Vikramgad talukas, several severely malnourished children have lost their lives recently.
Whenever a tragedy, such as the death of as many as 126 tribal kids in four months, strikes, the ministers and government officials concerned are forced to come out of their comfort zone and take stock of the situation. While the leaders ensure that their visits and declarations are covered by the media and broadcast widely, nothing changes at the ground level.
Two villages of Mokhada and Vikramgad talukas, where several severely malnourished children lost their lives recently, witnessed a similar scene on Friday, when tribal development minister Vishnu Savra, who also doubles up as the guardian minister of Palghar, paid a customary visit.
Even as the minister's entire cavalcade visited the Kalamwadi and Khoch villages – where two malnourished kids lost their lives recently and several others were diagnosed as severely malnourished, the district administration didn't put up a satisfactory act.
It was the dna team that identified two children – Rahul Kanhat and Manohar Bangad – in need of urgent treatment on Saturday evening while visiting the hutments in these villages. Incidentally, the leader of the Opposition in assembly and council had also paid visits in these villages a few hours earlier.
The dna correspondent immediately approached tribal development officer Babasaheb Pardhe with a written and verbal request to ensure treatment for the two children at the earliest. He also alerted the district administration, ICDS and the health department. The kids were admitted to the Mokhada rural hospital's child treatment centre (CTC) within hours.
The centre, however, has only 10 beds and seven more children have been admitted since then. Most kids have no beds to lie in.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahesh Patil, in-charge medical superintendent of the hospital, said, "Rahul has been diagnosed as severe acute malnourished (SAM) and Manohar as moderate acute malnourished (MAM), along with having cerebral palsy. We are providing them with treatment and special diet."
Visibly happy Kalli, Rahul's mother, told dna, "On Saturday evening, an Anganwadi worker came to my house. Then an ambulance came and brought Rahul to the hospital. Doctors started the treatment immediately, saying he needed urgent care."
Manohar's grandmother also expressed satisfaction over government's efforts to help them even as doctors said the child needed to be treated for cerebral palsy in a tertiary care facility, such as the JJ hospital in Mumbai.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Manohar Bangad")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}