Institutional deliveries went up to 76 % in Ranga reddy district

♦ Officials attributing nutrition kits and Arogya Mahila schemes for setting a trend

♦ Overall avg of deliveries in govt and pvt hospitals achieved the mark of 99 per cent in district

♦ Over 11,000 nutrition kits among pregnant women distributed since June 2023

♦ Almost 11,089 KCR kits distributed in the district so far

♦ Although there is a CHC in Budvel it serves no purpose when it comes to institutional deliveries

Rangareddy: With over two thousand institutional deliveries in the month of August in Rangareddy, the district average reached 76 per cent during April to date. However, the overall average of deliveries both in government and private hospitals in the district achieved the mark of 99 per cent and celebrates a significant drop in deliveries at home which is often perceived as a threat to the life of a pregnant woman and the newborn.

The officials are attributing the rise in institutional deliveries to government schemes like KCR Nutrition Kits and Arogya Mahila launched three months ago attracted scores of families mainly from rural and semi-urban areas to avail of the services.

According to officials, Rangareddy has seen the distribution of over 11,000 nutrition kits among pregnant women ever since the scheme was launched in June 2023.

“For a population of over 34 lakh people in the district divided into rural, urban, and semi-urban areas, 76 per cent of institutional deliveries are really encouraging. Although most of the institutional deliveries are recorded in rural and semi-rural areas, people in urban areas still need to overcome the fear of availing the services available at government-run-institutions,” maintained Narahari, the District Extension and Media Officer (DEMO).

“Almost 11,089 KCR kits have been distributed in the district so far. It consists of two bottles of Horlicks, one bottle of date syrup, a 500-gram bottle of ghee, 3 bottles of Iron Syrup, Albendazole tablets to prevent worms, one cup and one bag together costing Rs1,962 each”, he said.

Apart from this, he said, the Arogya Mahila programme too is well received by the people as it offers special clinics for women once a week. “During the special clinic programme, screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers is being offered which is often considered a costly treatment at private hospitals. Besides, checkups for anemia, Tuberculosis (TB), weight management, and lifestyle diseases too were performed during the special clinic programme”, the official elaborated.

However, the people in Budwel under Rajendra Nagar are still unhappy as they have to travel to Shamshabad or Mailardevpally for institutional deliveries as the local community health centre in the area provides only outpatient services.

“To avail the services like institutional delivery, the pregnant women of Budvel have to choose between Mailardevpally and Shamshabad UPHCs which are far from their own location. They can’t even bear regular screenings during the pregnancy as the bus services are not sufficient to travel that far every often,” rued Pacha Srinivasulu, the community activist.

According to officials, the Primary Health Center (PHC) at Mailardevpally is located almost five kilometers away from Budvel and serves nearly 2,11,365 people mainly from 116 surrounding colonies with multiple therapeutic services that include institutional deliveries. Similarly, the UPHC Shamshabad is located at least 10 kms away from Budwel. “Although there is a Community Health Center (CHC) in Budvel with sufficient space and infrastructure feasibility, it serves no purpose mainly for the local people when it comes to institutional deliveries. The government should make use of this building and provide facilities like institutional deliveries for local people to avoid hardship for them,” said Mahender, a resident of Rajendra Nagar.