Meet mulls steps to bring down maternal mortality

June 13, 2016 12:00 am | Updated October 18, 2016 01:16 pm IST - Chennai:

On Sunday, at a gathering of professionals in the private and public health sectors, a rather easy meeting of minds happened, and the result might make a significant contribution towards maternal health in the State.

Speaking at the mid-year conference of obstetricians and gynaecologists here on Sunday, Director of the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project Derez Ahmed set out an agenda to drive the State’s maternal mortality down, and together, they resolved to draw on their collective experience to draw up protocols that would facilitate this.

The major causes of maternal death include hypertension, anaemia and sepsis, so, checking the pregnant woman’s BP regularly, ensuring a supply of blood before taking up elective Caesarean delivery, and preventing infection could reduce maternal deaths.

If the State is to achieve an MMR of eight or less (per 1,00,000 live births) more needs to be done, conceded Dr. Ahmed, seeking the support of organisations such as the organiser: Obstetric and Gynaecology Society of Southern India (OGSSI).

During his tenure as Collector in Perambalur, the district achieved nil MMR for a 14-month period. He said apart from improving services in the health facilities, the use of hand-held scanners helped.

An audit of maternal deaths had shown that some problems could be set right with sufficient training and following proper protocols. A periodic review of guidelines and protocols to train health personnel in Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and New Born Care Centres was essential.

Cost of childbirth

Though the government facilities offered free service and 95 per cent of the medicines were given free, a woman spent as much as Rs. 1,700 from her pocket as expenses towards delivery. A woman opting for delivery in the private sector in the State spent almost twice the national average, he said.

Honouring the organisation's commitment, OGSSI secretary Ramani Rajendran said protocols would be available within a month to help tackle the MMR issue.

After pelvic cadaveric dissections being live relayed on Saturday, conditions affecting structures seen around the uterus like tubes and ovaries, were covered on Sunday, Nirmala Jayasankar, OGSSI president, said.

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