User Login Signup Now
Username :
Password    :
Forgot Password?

India failing to check maternal deaths: NGO

New Delhi, Nov 4

India is falling drastically behind other countries in meeting international commitments to improve obstetric care as it has failed to adequately monitor deaths following childbirth, an NGO working on human rights said Wednesday.

In the backdrop of a global meet of health experts that concluded late last month, the NGO Human Rights Watch said the key to progress in maternal health is ensuring that women with pregnancy complications are able to get appropriate care during childbirth.

"However, this is not happening in India even though it has started healthcare programmes that guarantee free obstetric care to rural women. Women here continue to die entirely preventable deaths, and health authorities do not track down the reasons or do what is needed to rectify the health system," said Aruna Kashyap, researcher for the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.

According to the NGO, the government counts the number of births in health clinics and hospitals, but these are often woefully under-resourced and under-staffed. Many women die or suffer serious injury after giving birth under these circumstances.

"The Indian government does not monitor what happens to women after childbirth, especially in the following 24 to 72 critical hours, when the chances of dying are the highest. Without this information, it cannot save women who go back home and die or develop long-lasting complications," Kashyap said.

"The government treats the huge increase of institutional deliveries as progress - 20 million women gave birth in health facilities across India between mid-2005 and March 2009. However, there is no reliable information on what percentage of these 20 million women actually survived after childbirth or suffered complications after being discharged," she added.

Unless India can draw up a time-bound plan of action for independent certification and monitoring of public and private health facilities as quality care providers, there is no guarantee that women giving birth in health facilities are receiving the skilled birth attendance needed to save them, Kashyap said.

"The Indian government should change its approach to monitoring and examine whether women with pregnancy-related complications are in fact getting the kind of treatment they need and whether they are surviving childbirth in the postpartum period," she added.

Last updated on Nov 4th, 2009 at 14:06 pm IST--IANS


Possibly related news:
Enter Your Name and Email below and Post your comment
NameEmail:
Comment:
News Search

Other News Headlines

Police jeep hits vehicle that Priyanka drove (Lead)
Amethi (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 21

A police jeep escorting Priyanka Gandhi hit a green Qualis that was part of her cavalcade here. The vehicle is said to be her brother and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's favourite and had been driven by Priyanka just a day earlier.

Congress may hush up Koda scam like Bofors scam: Rajnath Singh
Ranchi, Nov 21

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh Saturday charged that the Congress may hush up the Madhu Koda scam like the Bofors kickback case.

Wipro unveils new application for remote healthcare
Bangalore, Nov 21

Wipro Technologies has developed a medical gateway solution for remote healthcare management on real-time basis through mobile, broadband and dial-up networks, the IT bellwether said Saturday.

Kamat calls Asin 'Asian', then says southern spellings 'different'
Panaji, Nov 21

Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat Saturday pronounced popular actress Asin's name as "Asian", and when quizzed over it answered that "their (southern) spellings are very different".

Court ask school to let student sit for exam
New Delhi, Nov 21

Coming to the rescue of a Class 1 student, a city court Saturday asked a school to allow her to appear in the examination despite her father's dispute with the school authorities over fee payment.

Recently Commented Articles

Apex court panel defers decision on Justice Dinakaran's elevation
i want 2 join
bervin on 21/11/09 at 08:46 pm

Sun TV Network to launch new game show
i am very eager to participate in deal or no deal for registration procedure pls call:9488561903
saranya on 21/11/09 at 06:01 pm

Sun TV Network to launch new game show
i am very interested to participate in deal or no deala for registration procedure please call...
jerin on 21/11/09 at 02:58 pm

Five killed in private jet crash near Minsk
your service is very modern and development Russian world
usa private jet service on 21/11/09 at 02:34 pm

Sun TV Network to launch new game show
I am very interested to participate in deala no deala game show in sun tv. pls send me the...
SHANKAR CD on 21/11/09 at 12:24 pm

Latest Forum Topics

When We Do Not Know How to Pray!
[FONT="Arial"]Late one evening, a poor farmer on his way back from the market found himself without...
21/11/09 at 02:20 pm< | 0 Comment(s)

Intelligent people
[COLOR=Navy]thats tru i guess. and that seems to be the reason we see so many stories that pictures...
21/11/09 at 02:17 pm< | 4 Comment(s)

The Star Fish Story
[FONT="Arial"]Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day....
21/11/09 at 02:11 pm< | 0 Comment(s)

Ageing parents - Things 1 need to know for an emergency
[quote=bindunair;3721][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial] [LIST] [*]It only takes a few minutes to collect and...
21/11/09 at 02:07 pm< | 3 Comment(s)

Risks
[FONT="Arial"]To laugh is to risk appearing the fool, To weep is to risk appearing...
21/11/09 at 01:58 pm< | 0 Comment(s)

Thought of the day!
All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
21/11/09 at 01:54 pm< | 85 Comment(s)

Word association game..
Doctor
21/11/09 at 01:52 pm< | 145 Comment(s)

Change 1 Letter..
Nail -> Mail Is rearranging the letters allowed?
21/11/09 at 01:51 pm< | 125 Comment(s)