J&K launches scheme to detect diseases in kids

The scheme named Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram is being implemented under NRHM

The Jammu and Kashmir government today launched a health scheme for children under which they will be screened for diseases and deficiencies at regular intervals. The scheme is named Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RSBK). "This programme is being implemented under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

"The objective of this initiative is to improve the overall quality of life of children in the age group of 0 to 18 through early detection of four Ds - birth defects, diseases, deficiencies and development delays, including disability,"Minister of State for Health (independent charge) Shabir Ahmad Khan told reporters here. Khan said the programme will cover all children in rural and urban areas in the age group. It will also cover the children enrolled in classes 1 to 12 in government and government-aided schools.

The minister said the government will constitute two teams per block for the screening at two levels -- community level and facility level. "At the facility level, newborns will be screened by existing manpower at different health centres and hospitals and at community-level, screening will be conducted by mobile teams at anganwadis and schools," he said.

All pre-school children will be screened by the mobile teams for the four Ds at the anganwadi centres at least twice a year, while the school children will be screened once a year, the minister said. He said the mobile teams will consist of four members -- two doctors, including one female, one ANM and one pharmacist.

Khan said, under the programme, an early intervention centre will be established at every district hospital with a purpose to identify developmental delays, their confirmation and quality management. The centre will provide referral support to children detected with health conditions following screening at birth, he said.

The minister said a total of 773 posts have been sanctioned for the programme and the state government has already received the funds from the Centre.