Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 7: The state government will launch a programme to bring Infant and maternal mortality rates in Orissa under control, according to a decision taken by Chief Minister Naveen Patmaik Friday during a high-level meeting held at the secretariat.
“The Chief Minister had directed the health department to roll out a new programme,” said health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, adding, “The proposed programme will be implemented in 68 block of 15 districts.”
The programme will be launched in districts such as Deogarh, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Keonjhar, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, Sonpur and Sundargarh, according to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Steps will be taken under the programme to provide more facilities to pregnant women in the identified blocks of the districts to prevent maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the state. To make the programme a success, the vacant posts of doctors and ANMs will be filled up within a stipulated time period.
The state government will also install ICUs, aimed at providing batter healthcare facility to children, at three government medical colleges across the state, along with Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela general hospital, to curb the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
The MMR in Orissa stands at 222 in every 1,000 mothers, while the IMR stands at 51 in 1,000 children and 37 in 1,000 newborn babies, according to the SRS data. The state government has set a target of bringing these ratios to 117, 30 and 23, respectively, by 2020.
The Chief Minister has directed health department officials to launch a new cell to help monitor various ongoing programmes and schemes to prevent infant and Maternal Mortality rates in the state.
Decisions were also taken to modernise labour rooms from medical colleges to CHCs across the state, to provide quality service through first referral units and to strengthen blood banks and enhance their storage capacity.
The Chief Minister asked the health officials to coordinate with the SCST development department and Women and Child development department while working towards controlling infant and maternal mortality rates.
Currently, the Mamata scheme being run by the state government to provide financial assistance and better healthcare services to pregnant women and mothers. The state government has even made a budget of `50 crore for prevention of these deaths.
