Severe acute malnutrition claims lives of 70 children in Bauchi

An investigation has revealed that not fewer than 70 children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) have died in Bauchi State between January and July 2019.

The investigation carried out by our correspondent revealed that the death was caused by lack of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) normally given to children that are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Further investigation revealed that between the period, a total of 14,020 children diagnosed of SAM and placed on admission out of which a total of 10,359 were cured while 249 are yet to recover and defaulters for clinical attendance were put at 589.

It was also discovered that the state has been out-of-stock for RUTF for four months now during which a total of 22 children have died.

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When our Correspondent visited some of CMAM centres across the state, it was discovered that all the clients were turned back due to non-availability of the RUTF thereby leaving the victims at the mercy of God’s divine intervention.

The most pathetic is that of Hassan Muhammad of Wabu Village, in Gamawa local government area of Bauchi state who is dying gradually and needs urgent medical assistance in order to save his life having been ravaged by Severe Acute Malnutrition.

The father of the child, Muhammad Sani Rabo​ is​ , therefore, soliciting for the prompt and urgent assistance and support of the Bauchi State Government and other well-meaning members of the general public for the cure of his malnourished child who is likely to die anytime soon from what looks like Severe Acute Malnutrition ( SAM).

The visibly worried father of the twins, Hassan and Hussein said that Hassan Muhammad has been diagnosed of malnutrition at Wabu health care facility, but lamented that the sickness has persisted and is gradually killing his child.

He said that “We have been receiving treatment and attending the maternity without knowing the actual disease our child is suffering from. “We have not been referred to another hospital from Wabu maternity for further treatment; and even if they refer us to another hospital, we cannot afford the treatment”.

Mohammed Rabo further said that the toddler is in dire need of urgent medical attention to save his life, adding that he was constrained by lack of money to foot the medical bills as well as the preparation of local supplements in place of the RUTF which is out-of-stock in the state at the moment.

On her own, the mother of the child, Aisha, fondly addressed as Hajj also said that their biggest concern was the inability of the health care facility to properly diagnose the ailment that the child is suffering from aside the SAM which is visibly seen in him stating that, “We are blind as far as his sickness is concern, we don’t know what ails him”.

While reacting to the predicament of the parents and their sick child, Hajiya Altine, the health personnel in-charge of Wabu maternity in Gamawa LGA of Bauchi state​ said​ that “even the mother of the sick baby lacks balanced diet that can translate into healthy breast milk​ to feed the twins, especially the one hit by severe acute malnutrition”.

According to her, “since birth, the child has been battling with diarrhoea, malaria and a yet to be identified disease.”

Hajiya Altine, who expressed concern over the health situation of the child, said that the poor financial status of the parents has also hindered them to transfer the case to another hospital saying, “Whenever we try asking them to go to general hospital for further checks, their response has always been, they don’t have money to do that”.

Hajiya Altine added that “we have made series of efforts to refer the case to the Federal Medical Center Azare, but the poor financial condition of the parents of the baby has always been a hindrance as they have no access to some of the medications prescribed by the doctor.”

Our correspondent also reports​ that the out-of-stock of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)​ used for the effective​ cure of SAM,​ being experienced in all the CMAM centres across the state may have aggravated the severity of little Hassan’s ailment.

When contacted on the development, the Chief Nutrition Officer, Hamza Sade lamented that RUTF has been out-of-stock in the state for the past four months due to the withdrawal of the supply of the stuff by the international development partners.

He also lamented that most of the parents of the SAM victims do not have a stable means of livelihood thereby making it very difficult for them to be able to source for the local substances needed to replace the RUTF.

The Nutrition Officer said that “as a way of emergency management of the situation his office will require the sum of N200m with which to procure RUTF pending when actual budgetary allocation will be made in 2020 to take care of counterpart funding.

Hamza Sade however assured that his office will soon brief the newly appointed Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Muhammad Rilwanu in order to prepare a memo that is to be presented to the Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir for approval.