By James Moses (9News Nigeria -Jos)
Nutrition Officer at the Kofar Ran Primary HealthCare Clinic in Bauchi, Mrs Rahila Idi Umar has disclosed that the persistent rate cases of malnutrition among children between 06-23 monthly is increasing day by day in the hospital, saying the Clinic records over 100 new malnutrition cases.
The Nutritional Officer who spoke with Journalists in Bauchi said; “We do register at least 100 children suffering from acute and severe cases of malnutrition in the centre”
She said most of the cases received were mostly coming from the rural communities and neighbouring villages that lack access to the hospital for anti-natal services.
The officer pointed out that most reasons why the rate is growing in numbers were the affected victims who refused to embrace the exclusive breast feeding, family planning system, while others were due to extreme poverty who could not afford to get nutritional foods for the mother and the baby.
She explained that the Clinic has introduced a contribution scheme where they help in assisting those in dire need of support whenever they come for weekly visitations.
She further called on the government to prioritize distributions of food items to the most affected victims especially Ready to Use Therapeutic (RUTF) to nursing mothers to reduce the rate of malnutrition cases among children aged 06-23.
Earlier, the in-charge of the Clinic, Fatima Ja’afaru said Bauchi State Government is trying in that regard by selecting the hospital among three centres for treatment of malnutrition cases unlike before that the center usually referred several cases to the General Hospital Kafin Madaki.
She said with the selection of the centre it has now ginger the staff to gear up to improve services render to the people at the centre.
According to her,, there is need to address child malnutrition in the state as it has become one of the health challenges that causes high morbidity and mortality rates amongst children within the ages bracket of 0-5 years.
However, one of the nursing mothers who claimed anonimity told 9News Nigeria correspondent during the facility visit that she was being forced by her husband’s mother to give her child water, because failure to do so, there is every tendency the child will die, and because of her fear of losing the child she adhere to her instructions.
-9News Nigeria.
