MMR graph moves northward

BALASORE: Not mere policies but genuine initiatives are needed to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) which is seeing an upward spiral. In Balasore district that is bogged down by lacunae in several fields in gynaecology health care only good infrastructure facilities and proper implementation of policies can ensure a decline in the MMR.Most of the CHCs here don’t have blood storage facilities and gynaecologist posts lying vacant since long. In caesarean cases, most of the patients are referred to district headquarters hospital (DHH) which too is struggling with infrastructure shortage.The DHH has only 35 beds against the requirement of at least 80, considering the fact that on an average 40 patients visit the hospital daily. Each patient would require at least 48-hour stay in a hospital in case of normal delivery. But due to acute shortage of beds mothers and newborns are forced to lie on the floor, said district coordinator of White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), Balasore chapter, Debdas Kundu. The government had declared that delivery patients would be provided free transportation under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) but that too has gone sour with the vehicles going for emergency cases. Moreover, the promise to reimburse the transportation cost for those delivery patients who arrange their own travel has stopped since November last year, Kundu alleged.Besides, no call centre has been opened as assured to monitor the vehicles, including the empanelled ones, to bring the delivery patients to hospital. Owing to irrational distribution and lack of infrastructure the MMR has further aggravated.The blood storage facilities are available in Balasore, Soro, Jaleswar, Basta and Nilagiri sub-divisional hospitals. “Out of the 12 blocks, only five have the facilities. Most of the patients die of postpartum haemorrhage. The absence of blood storage facilities deters the utilisation of other facilities and prevention of postpartum haemorrhage. The absence of gynaecologists is also another concern,” said assistant coordinator of WRA, Balasore chapter, Ubachak Mohanty.Reports stated 15 women died owing to post- delivery complications within 42 days in the district in 2009-10, the figures are 32 and 18 for 2010-11 and 2011-12 till February. The figures are obtained from the centres after institutional deliveries.