In the last two months, the 20 maternity homes the Coimbatore Corporation runs have seen an increase in the number of deliveries. Mayor S.M. Velusamy told journalists here on Saturday that in October it was 107 and in November 116.
In September it stood at 89 and remained between 75 — 65 since the beginning of the financial year.
The Mayor attributed the increase in the institutional deliveries to a series of measures the Corporation had taken in the recent past like providing food to the women during their stay at the maternity homes and improvement in facilities.
But there was more.
According to sources, the review by the Commissioner G. Latha of the functioning of health wing revealed that the coordination between the medical officers and urban health nurses were not at the desired level and that a few systems had to be put in place.
DetailsThe Commissioner had asked the medical officers and the urban health nurses or sector health nurses at the maternity homes to record in writing the visits, particulars and every detail about the pregnant women who visited the homes for consultation or delivery.
This had brought in accountability and urban health nurses visited the pregnant women much ahead of the expected date of delivery and took them to the centres.
It also ensured that the gynaecologists attended to the women.
The measure, coupled with weekly review of the progress, had produced the desired result, the sources said.
FoodThe Corporation had also improved infrastructure and facilities such as stay at the centres at the time of delivery, ensuring supply of food to the women — before and after delivery, and constructing an operation theatre at the Seethalakshmi Maternity Home.
This was in addition to the regular interaction of the urban health nurses or sector health nurses with the pregnant women right since the early stages of pregnancy.
And during the interactions, the nurses also told them about the financial assistance under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy maternity assistance scheme and that the second of the three instalments of Rs. 4,000 would be given only if the women gave birth at government hospitals.
The sources also said that the Corporation Commissioner had now asked the urban health nurses to visit the pregnant women ahead of the expected date of delivery and arrange for transport through the 108 ambulance service.
In this regard Ms. Latha had asked the City Health Officer P. Aruna to coordinate with the ambulance service managers.
The Corporation had a few more facilities in the offing for the pregnant women. And they would be implemented in the near future.
