Govt eyes docs' tonic samples in health battle

State minister for health UT Khader has stumbled upon a magic formula for improving the lot of malnourished children in the state.

No, he is not proposing to pump in money to improve the rural health infrastructure, which is in a shambles. Instead, the health minister is begging private practitioners to donate tonic samples they receive from medical representatives to anganwadi centres.

Unbelievable? Better believe it.

The director of women and child development had issued a statement through the department of information and publicity on Sept 24 appealing to private practitioners to donate tonic samples through child development planning officers.

“I appeal to all the private doctors to donate such tonics for the better health of malnourished children,’’ said the director in a press release.

The director said there were 65,518 anganwadi centres across the state and 39.54 lakh children in the age group between six months and six years were benefiting from these anganwadi centres under the comprehensive child development programme. He said that 47,101 children were suffering from acute malnutrition and 10.68 lakh children were malnourished.

However, the director’s appeal to private doctors did not go well with social activists working in the field of child health.

Coming down heavily on the director, N Sudha of Jana Arogya Andolana, Bangalore, termed the appeal ridiculous.

“The government has been maintaining these anganwadi centres. It is its responsibility to take care of malnourished children. Many anganwadi centres lack basic infrastructure,’’ said Sudha.

Dr Sylvia Karpagam said there was no need for branded medicines to be supplied to anganwadi centres. “Supply of sample tonics will become a marketing strategy for pharmaceutical companies that pay commission to private doctors for promoting such tonics,’’ said Dr Karpagam.

Y Mariswamy of Samajika Parivarthana Janandolana said free samples would be used for conducting experiments or marketing purpose.