Cuttack: Though the state government is pumping in adequate funds to ensure better maternal care through promotion of institutional delivery, the only labour room at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) lacking basic infrastructure has raised questions over the efficacy of the initiative.
During a gap analysis inspection, a technical team of National Health Mission (NHM) has recently found gross infrastructural inadequacies at the Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) department’s labour room of the premier hospital.
While the labour room has seven Obstetric Delivery Tables (ODTs) against a prescribed eight, unavailability of ladders at the facility has further worsened the situation. The team also raised concern over the only decade-old radiant warmer at the labour room. While at least seven air conditioners were recommended for the labour room, a single low-tonnage AC serves the purpose only to the discomfiture of patients.
Moreover, only two units of shadow-free lights for seven beds are also grossly inadequate to conduct operations and deliveries, the team pointed out.
“The SCB authorities have failed to ensure the patients the basic antenatal and neonatal care. Although guidelines mandate a yellow-colour litter bin for each bed, the authorities are yet to comply with them. Besides, the OT tables were left uncovered,” the report stated, adding there were no Ambu Bags, weighing machines and delivery trolleys at the labour room.
According to data available from SCB, 4,631 Caesarean section (C-section) and 4,382 normal deliveries had been carried out in 2015-16. Similarly, with 4,810 C-section deliveries in 2016-17, the hospital is witnessing a rising trend towards operated deliveries though 5,206 normal childbirths were reported during the period.
The state government has undertaken several schemes to ensure safe delivery and minimise Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), but the sorry state of affairs at the O&G department especially at the labour room has raised questions over the efficacy of these schemes.
Besides, higher demand for C-section deliveries is a pointer to the inadequate manpower and infrastructure facilities at the hospital to counter any untoward situation like excessive bleeding or postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and high BP eclampsia, it was alleged.
“Though the inflow of patients to SCB has increased manifold due to promotion of institutional delivery, the infrastructure could not be upgraded in tandem. Even critical patients are being treated on the floor due to shortage of beds in the department,” a senior doctor at the O&G department said on condition of anonymity.
“Delivery becomes painful for the patients here as there is no stainless steel IEV rods available in the labour room which helps elevate the body during the labour pain, the doctor further said, adding inadequate shadowless lights also makes the surgery process more risky,” the doctor added.
When asked about the steps taken by the state government to address the lacunae, Health Minister Pratap Jena said he had asked the SCB authorities to list out the problems of all the departments before they are addressed.
“We will examine the NHM team’s report and take prompt action to upgrade the infrastructure at the premier healthcare facility,” the minister said.
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