Patna: Anuradha Kumari, an ANM posted in Bhagwanpur block of Bihar's Vaishali district, will be honored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 78th Independence Day for her good work.
Anuradha has been working in the labour room of Bhagwanpur Community Health Centre for the last six years. Both the department and public are very happy with her work. So much so that her working style is often being discussed here. She has drawn a lot of praise for making women aware about the importance of breastfeeding and advising about kangaroo mother care, a method of taking care of preterm infants.
Awards received in the past:
During her six-year tenure at Bhagwanpur block, Anuradha has been honoured with the National Florence Nightingale Award and her name has also been sent for the President's Award. Also, she had been awarded by the Bihar government on behalf of the Health Department.
Major initiatives taken by her:
In 2019, a woman gave birth to a child weighing only 900 grams but Anuradha had suceeded in saving the child. Along with this, she kept advising the woman on breastfeeding and kangaroo mother care over phone. Following her advise, the baby's weight increased to 2 kg.
In another incident, after delivery, the mother's pulse could not be found. Anuradha did not give up and after a lot of hard work, the mother started to breath normally. Both the child and the mother were healthy.
Anuradha's hard work and dedication have helped in saving several lives. Infact, she got trained as a mentor for Vaishali district on the occasion of Women's Day in 2021.
Documentary on ANM Anuradha:
Anuradha said that a documentary has been made about her work, which was broadcast on the national channel. During a conversation with ETV Bharat, Anuradha told that her husband and the entire family supports her.
"I will be felicitated by the Prime Minister on Independence Day. It is a matter of fortune for me. An ASHA worker from Bihar named Jyoti has also been called to be honoured on this occasion. I had worked very hard even during the Covid pandemic period.," Anuradha said.
Benefits of breastfeeding:
Child specialist Dr. Sangeeta Kumari said that mother's milk is a complete diet for children. "The mother should try to breastfeed her child at least for six months. Mother's milk contains a lot of antibodies that protect the baby from all kinds of diseases including respiratory problems, ear infection, diarrhea and allergy as well as provides energy to the child," Kumari said.
What is Kangaroo Mother Care:
Child researcher Dr. Sangeeta Kumari said that kangaroo mother care keeps the family members monitoring the child. The mother always keeps her child close to her, so that the baby keeps getting physical touch. If the child has any kind of problem, it is also identified immediately, the doctor added.
