Bhubaneswar: The infant mortality rate (IMR) in Odisha stands at 30 per 1,000 live births, higher than the national average of 25, Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Minister Mukesh Mahaling informed the Assembly Monday.
“According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) survey, the national IMR is 25, while the figure stands at 30 in Odisha. While the national IMR has declined by 15 points over the last decade, Odisha has recorded a sharper improvement with a 21-point reduction during the same period,” Mahaling said while replying to a question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
The minister outlined several measures taken by the government over the past one and a half years to reduce neonatal and infant deaths in the state. He said Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND) programmes are conducted every month at the village level by trained health workers to ensure regular health check-ups of pregnant women and to identify high-risk pregnancies.
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Such cases are referred to First Referral Units (FRUs) where trained doctors and nurses provide specialised care. “To support expectant mothers from remote areas, the state has also established ‘Maa Gruhas’, where pregnant women can stay closer to health facilities ahead of delivery,” he said.
The minister further informed the House that 10 Midwifery-Led Care Units (MLCUs) have been set up in district headquarters hospitals and medical colleges to facilitate safe deliveries. Currently, 109 specially trained nurses have been deployed in these units.
All maternity hospitals in the state are equipped with neonatal care facilities, while critically ill newborns are treated in Newborn Stabilisation Units (NBSUs) and specialised neonatal intensive care units. Over the last 18 months, the government has established one Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) and 15 NBSUs to strengthen newborn treatment services, he said.
Mahaling also stated that 10,888 low birth weight babies (weighing less than 1,800 grams) were successfully treated and recovered at specialised newborn care centres last year. In addition, 28 Lactation Management Units (LMUs) have been set up to ensure the availability of breast milk for sick infants. Under the Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) programme, ASHAs visit newborns at home six to seven times within the fi rst 42 days of birth to monitor their health and guide families on proper care, the minister added. The minister added that 2,753 new female health workers joined the health workforce last year, which is expected to further accelerate maternal and child health programmes across the state.
PNN
