Karnataka government has collaborated with the Asian Research & Training Institute for Skill Transfer (ARTIST), a premier institute for learning in the city, to tackle the issue of anaemia at a micro level and then extend the programme to the rest of the state. To begin with, it will test over 200,000 women employees in the garment sector in Bengaluru early next month.

ARTIST will deploy its latest ‘point of care’ equipment at the screening centres to capture data on health parameters of women undergoing tests. On the basis of the test results, oral or injectable iron will be administered to anaemic factory workers at the ESI Hospitals in Bengaluru.

The long-term plan is to create an anaemia-free healthy female working population, which can contribute to increase in industrial productivity. As part of the programme, over the next 100 days, the women workers will be screened for anaemia by the staff of the ESI Hospitals across Bengaluru.

“Though the problem of iron deficiency anaemia seems a simple problem to correct, it is widely prevalent in over 60 per cent to 69 per cent of women employees in the industrial sector. This causes tiredness, lack of concentration and certainly decreases the productivity. There are several factors that make women anaemic. Unfortunately, anaemic women do not realise that they are anaemic. We have to tackle this issue with all sincere efforts,” said Dr. Hema Divakar, past president, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), would take up the responsibility to provide the instrument for anaemia check and the video bytes for anaemia awareness to be sent to all the employees on their mobile phones. “If we administer iron to the women workers in the garment factories for the next 10 years at least, they will not suffer from anaemic conditions,” she added.

The programme will be monitored by a committee comprising P.B. Ramamurthy, additional chief secretary, labour department, Dr. Surendra V.H.H, joint director of factories (medical), department of factories, boilers, industrial safety & health, and Dr V. Sridevi, director, ESIC Medical Services.

During the second half of the year, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are expected to roll out similar programme to eliminate anaemia among the working women.