Nutrient-rich meals: Kitchen garden for malnourished kids at Balurghat dist hosp

BALURGHAT: The authorities of Balurghat district hospital in South Dinajpur have taken a step toward combating malnutrition among children undergoing treatment at the facility. A kitchen garden is being developed on the hospital premises to provide organic and nutrient-rich meals to these children.

The Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) for malnourished children is located within the hospital’s super speciality building, where children suffering from malnutrition receive care, often accompanied by their mothers, who stay for about two weeks during the treatment process.

To further enhance their nutritional intake, a kitchen garden is being set up on approximately one bigha (about 0.33 acres) of vacant land in front of the NRC.

The garden will cultivate a variety of vegetables, including cabbages, cauliflowers, chillies, onions, coriander, brinjals, pumpkins and leafy greens, using fully organic methods. Interestingly, the mothers of the children undergoing treatment will be responsible for maintaining the garden, ensuring its upkeep and productivity.

The hospital authorities have already started preparing the land and secured the area with iron fencing.

This initiative aims to provide high-quality nutrition to the children, a move that has been widely appreciated by the community. The idea of utilising vacant hospital land for kitchen gardens has been under consideration in South Dinajpur for quite some time. The district includes Balurghat Sadar, Gangarampur sub-division and eight blocks, each with rural hospitals that have ample unused land. However, active implementation of this concept has been limited.

In 2021, the Harirampur Rural Hospital became the first to create a kitchen garden in the district. The vegetables grown there were used to prepare meals for patients, setting an example for other hospitals. Now, Balurghat District Hospital’s kitchen garden is being hailed as a model initiative, receiving praise from all quarters.

Speaking about the project, Balurghat district hospital’s superintendent Krishnendu Bikash Bag said: “We have planned to establish a kitchen garden at our hospital, primarily focusing on the nutritional needs of malnourished children.

The vegetables grown here will help bridge the nutritional gap in these children’s diets. The mothers staying with the children will oversee the garden’s maintenance.

Currently, we are preparing the land, and cultivation will begin shortly.”

“This thoughtful initiative promises to provide not only better nutrition to the children but also a sustainable model for other healthcare facilities to follow,” Bag added.