R. Pappammal (38) who was admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital here on Thursday for her tenth delivery could not control her tears as she tried to explain her plight of having to deal with an alcoholic husband and her inability to undergo birth control surgery due to ill health.
Ms. Pappammal and her husband P. Ravi, both daily wage labourers from Parvathipuram in Dindigul district, are parents to eight children – five girls and three boys – aged between four and 18.
One of their children died soon after birth. The age difference between some of their children is just one year. They even named the seventh child, a girl, as Pothum Ponnu (which translates as ‘enough with girls’), as per a belief that there will not be a girl child any more. The couple, however, had another girl and a boy later.
“Doctors said that I cannot undergo sterilisation surgery as I am anaemic. My husband refused to undergo vasectomy,” said Ms. Pappammal who looks much older than her age. She said that her attempts to convince her husband not to have more children went in vain.
He was recently arrested by the police as he had a non-bailable warrant against him in a case of quarrel.
“He is alcoholic and abusive. He rarely gives money to support the family,” she said, adding that the family survived mainly on the wage earned by her and one of her sons.
While four of her five girl children are going to school, the others have dropped out.
Ms. Pappammal was referred from Dindigul Government Headquarters Hospital to the GRH on Thursday fearing complications in the delivery as she was extremely anaemic, indicating possible failure of the system of monitoring the health of pregnant women in villages.
However, a Village Health Nurse (VHN), who accompanied Pappammal to the GRH on Thursday, said that VHNs were trying to help her, but the couple, mainly Pappammal’s husband, was not cooperating.
“Ten pregnancies in short intervals is bound to take a toll on her health,” she said.
While four of her five girl children are going to school, the others have dropped out
. Pappammal (38) who was admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital here on Thursday for her tenth delivery could not control her tears as she tried to explain her plight of having to deal with an alcoholic husband and her inability to undergo birth control surgery due to ill health.
Ms. Pappammal and her husband P. Ravi, both daily wage labourers from Parvathipuram in Dindigul district, are parents to eight children – five girls and three boys – aged between four and 18.
One of their children died soon after birth. The age difference between some of their children is just one year. They even named the seventh child, a girl, as Pothum Ponnu (which translates as ‘enough with girls’), as per a belief that there will not be a girl child any more. The couple, however, had another girl and a boy later.
“Doctors said that I cannot undergo sterilisation surgery as I am anaemic. My husband refused to undergo vasectomy,” said Ms. Pappammal who looks much older than her age. She said that her attempts to convince her husband not to have more children went in vain.
He was recently arrested by the police as he had a non-bailable warrant against him in a case of quarrel.
“He is alcoholic and abusive. He rarely gives money to support the family,” she said, adding that the family survived mainly on the wage earned by her and one of her sons.
While four of her five girl children are going to school, the others have dropped out.
Ms. Pappammal was referred from Dindigul Government Headquarters Hospital to the GRH on Thursday fearing complications in the delivery as she was extremely anaemic, indicating possible failure of the system of monitoring the health of pregnant women in villages.
However, a Village Health Nurse (VHN), who accompanied Pappammal to the GRH on Thursday, said that VHNs were trying to help her, but the couple, mainly Pappammal’s husband, was not cooperating.
“Ten pregnancies in short intervals is bound to take a toll on her health,” she said.
While four of her five girl children are going to school, the others have dropped out
