Encourage institutional deliveries Auxiliary Nurse Midwives told

Kakinada: Improving the number of government hospital deliveries is the need of the hour for safe deliveries and every effort should be made by the ANMs at the grass-roots level to encourage the pregnant women to go for institutional deliveries, said District Collector H Arun Kumar.

While speaking at a work shop organised for ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) of Kakinada and Peddapuram divisions on promotion of institutional deliveries and antenatal care, at Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada on Friday, the Collector observed that 48 per cent deliveries were taking place in government hospitals but it needs an improvement as it helps the pregnant women with manifold facilities available at government hospitals.

The Collector suggested that the ANMs maintain a track record of every child and pregnant woman in their area with the help of tabs provided to them to cater the health needs.

Quoting the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the district, the Collector said that 34 deaths were occurring for every 1,000 children born which should be brought to 25 in the coming year and Mother Mortality Rate (MMR) also should be brought to 60 per one lakh deliveries from the present rate of 74 in the district.

He further said that the analysis by the district-level committee on mortality revealed that all these deaths could be controlled by taking precautions and care about the health of mother.

With regard to usage of medical equipment in the PHCs, the Collector suggested them to have thorough knowledge on the usage of equipment, to undergo training if necessary and to keep the equipment fully functional.

Any additional funds required for the material could be acquired from HDS or NHRM funds, he added. Periodical antenatal checkups, vaccination and usage of medicines should be followed and care should be taken to tackle malnutrition in the areas where SC, ST and fishermen live.

Seeking support from private gynaecologists and radiologists, the Collector said that the private gynaecologists and radiologists have agreed to extend their services in the implementation of Pradhanmantri Suraksha Matrutwa Abhiyan in the district which facilitates tests to pregnant women on the 9th of every month.

Accordingly, the services of those doctors would be available at 29 government scanning facility centres in the district on the same day.

DMHO Dr K Chandraiah, additional DMHO Dr M Pavan Kumar, DPMO Dr K Satyanarayana, DIO Dr Anitha, RBSK programme coordinator Dr N Rajeswari, DPRO M Francis also attended the workshop.