Iron, folic acid capsules being given to Simkot girl students

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT,Humla, May 23: Health assistants are administering iron and folic acid capsules to the school girls in Simkot Rural Municipality. The campaign aimed at administering the capsules to girls aged between 10 and 19 years was conducted to prevent pregnancy-related problems in the future. 

According to Nar Bhandari, head of Simkot Rural Municipality Health Department, though the department should have launched the campaign last year, it only started this year and it would provide capsules to every girl for continuous 13 weeks. 

Bhandari said that the consumption of such capsules would help keep the baby healthy and prevent iron deficiency during pregnancy. It prevents the birth of deformed infants and miscarriages, he said. 

On the first day, 936 girls consumed the capsules. The girls of Kailash Secondary School, Karnali, Mansarobar Namuna School, Bal Mandir Secondary School, Bhimsen Secondary School and Raling Secondary School had taken the capsules. 

Health assistants of all health posts in the rural municipality were mobilised in the campaign. There are 21 community and four institutionalised schools in Simkot.  Meanwhile, the health assistants will conduct a door-to-door campaign to provide the capsules to the girls who have not enrolled in schools. 

The health department informed that there were about 1,245 girls aged between 10 and 19 years in the rural municipality.