The Government Family Health Nurses’ Union has appealed to the Government to consider proving some nutritious food substitutes for infants in Sri Lanka as the manufacturing of Thriposha has been stopped for nearly one year due to non-availability of raw materials locally to manufacture it.
The Sri Lanka Government Family Health Nurses’ Union chairperson Devika Kodithuwakku said this would adversely affect the physical and mental development of infants in the country. Life-long effects would befall these infants if this matter remains unresolved for a long time. Therefore, eggs or nutritious types of grains need to be substituted to prevent possible malnutrition among infants.
A spokesman for the Thriposha manufacturing company said that it has no facilities locally to get adequate stocks of maize which should be of high quality to maintain the standard of Thriposha.
Top authorities of the Health Ministry and the Agricultural Sector should seek an early remedy to resolve this problem for the future generation of this country, she said.
She said at present nearly 1.3 million children between six months and three years are given Thriposha by the Health Ministry at maternity clinics. Infants and their mothers are reported to be undergoing much inconvenience as a result of it, she added.