Seek corporate help to tackle malnutrition in state: Court

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has suggested that the state government seek the corporate sector’s help to set up health camps in malnutrition-affected areas of the state. Further, the court has suggested that the state think of increasing incentives and facilities for doctors offering their services in tribal and malnourished areas.

A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice G.S. Kulkarni was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PIL) highlighting a spurt in malnutrition-related diseases and deaths among those living in the Melghat region of Vidarbha. At last hearing, the court directed the state government to list the steps taken by it to implement previous orders of the court on tackling malnutrition in the state.

Accordingly, assistant public prosecutor (APP) Neha Bhide informed the court that the state had conducted 503 health camps in Nandurbar district alone and checked 8,700 lactating women and 11,758 children. Ms Bhide informed that the state was offering incentives to doctors who worked in malnourished areas. She told the court that Maharashtra was at number three position in terms of controlling malnutrition.

The court then said that the state needs to sit with doctors’ organisations and fix incentives. It said that the state should provide equipment and accommodation as well as healthy food to the doctors.