Harish Rao unveils KCR Nutrition Kit

Kamareddy: Health Minister T Harish Rao launched a new scheme 'KCR Nutrition Kit' for pregnant women from the district Collectorate here on Wednesday.

Minister Harish Rao along with Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Minister for Roads and Buildings Vemula Prashanth Reddy virtually launched the scheme which is being implemented in nine identified districts across the Telangana.

Speaking on the occasion, the Health Minister said the scheme aims at reducing anaemia and improving the percentage of haemoglobin among pregnant women and added that the nutritional kits would contain products rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins.

"Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao thinks like a mother and he can understand the problems of poor women. He has asked the officials to design the scheme that no women should be suffered from anaemia during the pregnancy," Harish Rao said.

The Minister appealed to the pregnant women to avail the scheme for improving their weight gain, nutritional status of the mother and the growing baby inside the womb.

The scheme was simultaneously launched in Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kamareddy, Kumarambheem Asifabad, Mulugu, Nagarkurnool and Vikarabad districts.

The aim of the nutrition kits is to reduce anemia and increase the hemoglobin percentage by providing proteins, minerals and vitamins through nutrition. The kits were made with a cost of Rs1,962 each and distributed by the government, once during the second ANC checkup between 13-27 weeks and the second time during the third ANC checkup between 28-34 weeks. These nutrition kits include nutrition mix powder, dates, 3 bottles of iron syrup, 500 grams of ghee, albendazole tablet, cup and plastic baskets.

The Telangana government has already implemented the KCR kits scheme as a part of maternal and child care like nowhere else in the country. Rs 243 crore worth 12,85,563 kits have been distributed, Rs. 1261.61 crores under financial assistance and deposited in the accounts through DBT. Thus, till now the government has spent more than Rs 1,500 crore for this scheme.