‘Anaemia is common in Kashmiri girls’

Lakhs of girls in Kashmir, especially in rural areas, are suffering from moderate anaemia. A team of doctors from Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) and Terna Medical College (TMC) of Mumbai have submitted their report and have recommended mass awareness among the girls to improve their health condition.

When The Sunday Guardian interviewed some state health services authorities and people in the state social welfare department, they seemed clueless about how to intervene.

“I think the social welfare department should stepin and start an awareness campaign to tackle the situation,” a senior official of the state health department told this newspaper.

The survey also pointed out that hundreds of girls were overweight and they have thyromegaly (iodine deficiency).

According to the team of doctors, they have found out that of the 450 students between the age group of 12 years and 18 years, 114 girl students were suffering from moderate anaemia.

According to this study, about 55% school- going Kashmiri girls are suffering from moderate anaemia due to the deficiency of adequate nutrition. The killing of three civilians this week at Chadoora, Budgam, and the consequent wave of protests and violence has brought down the intensity of the election campaign in poll bound Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha constituencies, with both National Conference and People’s Democratic Party preferring indoor meetings and cancelling many scheduled public canvassing.

PDP candidate from Anantnag, Tassaduq Mufti, son of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and CM Meh-