DNA

Mumbai, Oct 25: The Union Health Ministry, World Health Organisation and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, recently disclosed that one woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth every minute in India. And if you think that this is a statistic that applies only to rural India where health care is not readily available, think again.

According to gynaecologists and officials of the city’s National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, despite being a metropolis that boasts of good medical facilities, the city is no exception when it comes to high Maternal Mortality Rate.

“Postpartum haemorrhage is still the number one cause of death among delivering mothers in the city as well as the state,” said Rekha Davar, head of the gynaecology department at JJ Hospital.  Ironically, postpartum haemorrhaging is the most preventable cause of maternal mortality. “Good antenatal care and delivery by doctors can easily take care of post-delivery bleeding,” said Davar.

“Nearly 15 per cent of patients will face some complication or the other during pregnancy, and will require special attention which only a doctor can provide,” said Duru Shah, president of the Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Society of India. A United States-based NGO, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, through Pathfinder International - an NGO which works on global health issues - will distribute life-saving packages in the state and six other Indian states.

Each package would include an anti-shock garment, misoprostol (a uterus-contracting drug which prevents bleeding) and a calibrated blood collection drape to diagnose postpartum haemorrhage. “Our focus will also be on getting patients transported to the nearest health facility,” said a spokesperson from Pathfinder International. 
“We are currently using a similar kit for our ‘Saving the Mother’ project in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. As far as drugs are concerned, the state governments supply uterus-contracting drugs to patients free of cost. However, when it comes to the grassroots, the biggest problem is still in getting the patient to a primary health care
centre,” said Shah.

According to the National Family Health Survey (III), home-births are still common in India - accounting for almost 60 per cent of recent births. “Bleeding is so profuse after delivery that the patient might go into a shock. Therefore, home deliveries should not be encouraged,” said the doctor.

As far as the city is concerned, while it sees fewer home-births, antenatal care is still lacking.