By Ashok Dyalchand | Director
During household visits in one slum, IHMP’s nurse, Nirmala and the Community Health Worker, Lata found a pregnant woman, Renuka (name changed) in her 2nd month of pregnancy. After the nurse registered her for pregnancy medical care, Renuka told them that she was feeling weak and lethargic since a month. Nirmala probed her for more information and found that she was only having two meals a day and her blood reports indicated that she was severely anemic.
Nirmala and Lata were quick to assess the situation and told Renuka to increase her food intake. They provided her with a daily diet intake chart designed by Institute of Health Management Pachod (IHMP), which provides the different times a pregnant woman must take meals, and the variety of food options she should choose for each meal. They told her to display the chart in her kitchen, and follow the dietary plan as closely as possible. They also explained her how to control anemia through good diet.
During their next visit, Nirmala and Lata were very pleased to see that Renuka's husband, Satish was also present and was eager to know about the dietary requirements of his wife during the course of her pregnancy. The nurse patiently explained to him about the dietary needs of a pregnant woman, and showed him the daily dietary intake chart that they had given to Renuka.
During their next visit IHMP’s nurse, Nirmala and Lata were pleasantly surprised with what they saw.
Lata knocked on Renuka's door, to be greeted by her healthy, glowing face. She led them into the kitchen and pointed to a paper stuck to the wall. The two women stared at a neat personalized, weekly, dietary intake chart that had been adapted by Satish and presented to his wife a few weeks ago. Every day Satish would go to the market and purchase food items that they had specified on Renuka’s dietary intake chart. At the end of each day Renuka and Satish signed the chart making sure that the dietary recommendations made by the nurse had been followed. Nirmala and Lata were delighted to see that Renuka’s husband had taken such keen interest to ensure his wife’s good health.
Satish is our champion and ambassador of the month. He has been involved in sharing the dietary intake chart designed by him with the spouses of other pregnant women in nearby slums. He tells other men how his severely anemic wife improved solely with good dietary intake. Satish epitomizes the importance of involving husbands in ensuring safe pregnancy for young women.
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