Kodungaiyur slum girls weigh just 10 kg: Camp

It came to light that many girls were underweight for their age and the body mass index was not in right balance. Around 120 children aged six and above benefited from the camps. 

The children, who are mostly ragpickers and live in an unhygienic environment, complained of diarrhoea and wheezing. Four doctors screened the kids in three areas, RR Nagar, Ezhil Nagar and Krishnamurthy Nagar, located in West Kodungaiyur. 

“The area is located close to the Cooum and those living here mostly are ragpickers. The children suffer from water-borne diseases and pollution-related health hazards. The doctors prescribed antibiotics, as some of them had throat infection and many were found with skin ailments,” said District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), Shiva Jayakumar. 

“The children had dysentery and respiratory problems. Out of 80 girls, 65 were underweight. Girls aged between 10 and 13 weighed only 10 kg,” he added.