CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT (CCD)

Friday, July 07, 2006



Rourkela : The joy of his birth proved to be short lived. Even before Sonu Prasad could see and feel the beauty around him, the two-year-old had lost vision in both his eyes.
Malnutrition and lack of Vitamin-A rich foods and supplements led to the disaster, said opthalmologist Dr. P.K. Verma,who examined his eyes in critical condition.
The while eyeball and retina were dangling from his eyes like rubber balls and he was diagnosed as suffering from Xeropthalmia. Apart from Vitamin-A, the possible treatment could be Keratoplasty.The surgical intervention would cost a fortune but may not be successful, he said since the retina had got attached with the eyeball.
Even as authorities comcerned blame his condition on ignorance and unhygienic living conditions, initatives like Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and National Blindness Control Programme too did little to prevent it. In fact,the slum along 'D' Cabin Road of Bondamunda where Sonu resides with his parents,even has an Anganwadi centre that should ensure proper mother and child care.Even scabies all over his fragile body makes it evident that he obviously missed out vitamins.
And while the health officials look apethatic of the problem of the child Sonu's parents, daily wager Satyendra Prasad and domestic help Radha Prasad are trying to mop up funds for treatment of apple of their eyes which looks a distant dream.

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