Biggest killer of Indian kids: poverty, ignorance

BLEAK FUTURE: Most of the children in rural India are malnourished and have a weak immune system.

    

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In fact most rural families are unaware of the symptoms of malnutrition and by the time doctors convince them of treatment, sometimes it's just too late.

And at other times, there are simply no medical facilities. Primary Health Centres (PHC) in many places are understaffed and almost non-functional.

"PHC mein rehne ke liye doctors ko staff milna chahiye, ward boy hona chahiye, sweeper hona chahiye, nurses honi chahiye kuch bhi nahin hain doctors ko field visit ke liye vehicle hona chahiye main yahan pe apna personal vehicle use karta hoon yeh field mein jaana ho to sochta hoon ki petrol kharch bhi milega ki nahin (In a PHC there should be adequate staff. A ward boy, sweeper, and nurse should be there for a doctor to work properly. Here there is no vehicle for field visit. I use my personal vehicle for it and have to think if I would be reimbursed the petrol bill or not), " a doctor at Primary Health Centre in Hingora, who didn't wished to be identified, reveals.

Doctors from reputed institutes don't often choose to work in such centres and those who do are soon de-motivated.

"Paanch mahine mujhe tankha nahin mili without salary paanch mahine se main kaise yahan kaam kar raha hoon kaise ghar se arrange kar raha hoon paise yeh bhi bahut problem hain (I have not received my salary for the past five months. For the last five months I have been arranging money from my home but that is also getting very difficult now)," he says.

"Jab mujhe kuch nahin mil raha hain main yahan dhoop mein baitha rehta hoon light nahin hain hospital ke andar definitely mera chodhne ka man karega finally phir kya hoga bina doctor ke ya phir kisi ko attach karenge ek din do din ke liye patient pareshaan hoga. Final to jo patient hain garib aadmi hain usko face karna hoga (I am not getting the salary but still I come and sit under the sun. There is no electricity connection in the hospital. So definitely I would want to leave the job. After that a temporary appointment for a few days will be made. But finally it will the poor patient who will have to face the consequences)," he says.

Abject poverty, lack of basic health care facilities and poor health of rural women are all killing India's children. The country has consistently let down children like Shamim and today our malnutrition rates are even worse than Sub Saharan Africa.