Over 3 lakh students given Albendazole tablets in city

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 12

As many as 3.5 lakh students and children in the city were fed deworming Albendazole tablets today as per National Deworming Day drive for students in the age group of 1 to 19. Notably, while the state government earlier used to hold only an annual de-worming drive, the drive was made a bi-annual affair, given the malnourishment among students.

While the drive was initiated today, its next round is a mop-up session which would be held on Wednesday.

Students who were left out of the drive today shall be administered tablets on Wednesday.

The incidence of anaemia is the highest among students of government schools and malnourishment is common among students suffering from anaemia.

District Immunisation Officer, Dr Tarsem Singh, said, “Instructions had already been issued to all schools to ensure that students were provided with breakfast in morning, only after which, they were to be administered the deworming medicines. We are also administering iron and folic acid tablets to students on a regular basis to prevent anaemia among them.”

“The Health Department is keeping a check on addressing the twin conditions among students with the administering of regular medicines as per the NEPI (National Iron Initiative Programme) programme. Recently, haemoglobin testing kits were provided to students to ensure that their blood check-ups were held on a regular basis,” Dr Tarsem said.

While the drive today was inaugurated at SD Phularwan Senior Secondary School, Preet Nagar, Civil Surgeon Dr RS Randhawa said worms in the stomach were one of the prime causes of anaemia. The next deworming drive this year will be held in August.