Malnutrition, a horror story; Two sides of the same city

MUMBAI: Urban malnutrition is Mumbai’s never-ending horror story. DNA reported the death of a six-month-old child of malnutrition in Aarey Milk Colony on Saturday. Today, malnutrition appears to be spread across Mumbai.

Here’s the grim statistic from India’s financial capital: Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) data till May 2007 reveals as many as 510 cases of Grade III and IV malnutrition (acute undernutrition).

Santacruz (E) tops the list with 85 cases; Ghatkopar and Andheri take second and third places with 66 and 64 cases respectively, followed by Goregaon (48), and Bhandup and Kurla (42 each). In fact, the only places that do not appear to have underfed children are Colaba and Mahim.

Take the case of Bhushan Gohrat, 43, with his seven-month-old nephew Rohit at his sister Yoshada’s house in Devichapara, a tribal settlement in Aarey Colony. On Friday, Rohit and his twin sister Rohini were declared malnourished by a team of BMC doctors.

Last year, Gohrat’s older brother’s infant son died of suspected malnourishment.

“We admitted him to the BMC-run Siddharth Hospital, but he lay unattended for seven days before the doctors paid any attention,” says Gohrat.

Upset by this, the family brought the boy home, and he died within 48 hours. But Gohrat is unfazed; he claims his family often has to go without food for days on end, so this is nothing new.

“We admitted him to the BMC-run Siddharth Hospital, but he lay unattended for seven days before the doctors paid any attention,” says Gohrat.

Upset by this, the family brought the boy home, and he died within 48 hours. But Gohrat is unfazed; he claims his family often has to go without food for days on end, so this is nothing new.

Yet BMC officials are in denial mode about this. They confirmed the two cases at Aarey on Friday, but dismissed other complaints from this colony in Goregaon (E) as cases of fever rather than starvation. 

“Our doctors have said that almost all the children in those tribal settlements had fever or stomach problems,” says BMC executive health officer Jairaj Thanekar, “but did not report any malnutrition cases.

“The children were weak, but it will be wrong to say that they were malnourished.” Asked why, then, had one of his doctors declared Rohit to be malnourished, Thanekar seemed lost for words and avoided answering the question.

BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak, however, has a different take on the matter. “Areas around Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which border Aarey Colony, are not so far away or inaccessible that they cannot get the benefits of Mumbai’s job market,” he says.

“There are only two per cent people below the poverty line in Mumbai, who apply for the Below Poverty Line cards. Besides, malnutrition can also be caused by a disease.”

The commissioner added that the ICDS has been successfully implemented in most areas, ensuring that children in slums get at least one free meal a day.

As for the adivasi padas, he said they are under the jurisdiction of the Collector, rather than the BMC. “Food and rationing allotment for them would be under the purview of the food and supplies ministry,” he says.

“But even adivasis have benefits. If they are listed under the original three aboriginal adivasis of Maharashtra, they are given relaxed tenders for BPL ration cards.”

Women and Child Development minister Harshavardhan Shahajirao Patil, however, blamed it on the ever-increasing population of the city.

“It is nearly impossible to monitor the health status of every family settling down in the city every day. But now we will focus on Mumbai seriously.”

Patil added the state was going to have a pact with the BMC to ensure the latter takes care of the health issues of the poor. 

Social activists insist the 27 tribal settlements in Aarey have always been neglected by both the BMC and the government. Ashok Khandvi of Shramik Mukti Sangh also alleges Aarey Hospital does not admit malnutrition cases, fearing the figures would become official.

“The doctors refer patients to JJ hospital, Byculla, knowing well these people don’t have the money to reach even the nearest railway station,” says Khandvi.

Another organisation, Youth for Unity and voluntary Action (Yuva), which admitted 11 malnourished children to a Bhandup hospital last year, says as soon as the media turns away from the cases of malnutrition, so does the government.

“There is urban malnourishment, but the state has done nothing to curb it,” says Arokia Mary of Yuva.

“People are dying of starvation in the heart of Mumbai because they do not have access to the most basic amenities, but the government is turning a blind eye to these vote banks.”