Stretchers for remote areas where 108 fails

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Bhubaneswar: The state government will provide newborn resuscitation care at health sub centres, stretchers to ‘Gaon Kalyan Samitis’ in inaccessible areas to carry pregnant women to nearest hospitals. This forms part of the government’s resolve to bring down Infant Mortality (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) in the state.
These facilities will be provided in 15 districts where the IMR and MMR rates are relatively more compared to other districts. They include Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sonepur and Sundargarh.
Health department officials said the state government will provide newborn resuscitation care at health sub-centres where the delivery rate is above 20 per cent.
The newborn or neonatal resuscitation is an intervention after a baby is born to help it breathe and help its heart beat. According to health experts, some newborn babies need this care to help them with airway, breathing and circulation also known as the ABCs.
Officials further said steps are being taken to distribute baby-kits at hospitals.
With reports of pregnant women suffering due to lack of transport facility coming in from various parts of the state, the government has decided to provide stretchers to Village Welfare Samitis. According to sources, this has been decided as the 108 ambulance sometime fails to extend help to expectant mothers.
These decisions are important as the IMR stands at 51 in 1000 children and 37 in 1000 newborn babies and the MMR rate stands at 222 in every 1000 mothers in Orissa. The state government has set a target to bring these ratios to 117, 30 and 23 respectively by 2020.
Meanwhile, health minister Pratap Jena said the existing plans and programmes to reduce IMR and MMR will be strengthened.
The government has planned to spend Rs 211crore in 15 districts of the state where MMR and CMR are high compared to other districts, sources said.
The state government last year announced that districts that perform best in terms of reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) will be rewarded with a cash prize of Rs 1crore. PNN