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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | One in four births aided by untrained midwives in India-Kounteya Sinha

One in four births aided by untrained midwives in India-Kounteya Sinha

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published Published on Apr 9, 2012   modified Modified on Apr 9, 2012

Less than two in 10 women in India received medical attention by a qualified professional in 2010 while delivering at home. Contrary to popular belief, fewer women in urban India received medical attention while delivering at home than rural India - 10.8% against 16.2%. Nearly 1 in 4 births overall were attended by "untrained functionaries" - varying from as high as 53.5% in Jharkhand to as low as 0.2% in Kerala.

According to the Registrar General of India's latest Sample Registration System (SRS) 2010 data, more women - almost double, delivered in government hospitals - 41% as against private hospitals (19.4%). Kerala recorded the highest deliveries in private hospitals while Odisha recorded the least. Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of women who delivered in a government hospital while Jharkhand recorded the least - 19%.

In Delhi for example, more than half - 55% -- delivered in government hospitals while 23% went to a private hospital. Nearly 17% of births at home were carried out by a qualified professional.

More women in Maharashtra trust a government hospital with nearly half of deliveries in the state taking place there. However even then, 37% women delivered in private hospitals.

When it came to delivery conducted by a qualified professional at home, it was as low as 4.5% in Maharashtra. Untrained functionary deliveries were as high as 47% in Bihar, 35% in UP, 25% in West Bengal and 27% in Madhya Pradesh.

Institutional deliveries - children being born in health centres or hospitals and not in their homes -- have picked up in India. The SRS note exclusively available with TOI says, "More than three-fourths of deliveries are occurring in institutional and by qualified professionals right now in India."

The good news is that several states recorded very low births by untrained functionaries. They include Kerala at 0.2%, Tamil Nadu 0.9%, Andhra Pradesh 1%, Punjab 2.6%, Delhi 5.3%, Gujarat 8.8%, Haryana 6.3% and Karnataka 9.3%.

In case you think deliveries in a private hospital is a strictly urban phenomenon, think again. Interestingly, rural regions in several states recorded high rates of delivery in private hospitals. Take for example Kerala where 52% of births in rural settings took place in a private hospital followed by 35% in Andhra Pradesh, 23% in Delhi, 36% in Gujarat, 32% in Haryana, 20% in Karnataka, 36% in Maharashtra, 35% in Punjab and 24% in Tamil Nadu.

The Union health ministry recently said around 60 lakh more children were born in the safe confines of a health care centre in 2010-11 compared to that in 2005-06. According to their records, India saw 108.40 lakh institutional deliveries in 2005 with the number steadily increasing.

Experts say one main reason is the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) which was launched in April 2005 in order to reduce India's shamefully high maternal and infant mortality. JSY promoted institutional delivery among pregnant women by providing cash assistance. From 7.39 lakh pregnant women as beneficiaries in 2005-06, JSY achieved a phenomenal success by providing cash assistance to nearly 113 lakh pregnant women in 2010-11.

The ministry also launched the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) in 2011. The initiative entitles all pregnant women, delivering in public health institutions, to absolutely free delivery including caesarean section. A pregnant woman would be entitled to free transport from home to the government health facility, between the facilities in case she is referred on account of complications and also drop back home after delivery.

The entitlements include free drugs and consumables, free diagnostics, free blood wherever required and free diet during the woman's stay in the facility. This initiative is estimated will benefit more than one crore pregnant women every year in both urban and rural areas.

The Times of India, 7 April, 2012, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-07/india/31304525_1_private-hospitals-institutional-deliveries-kerala


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