Target must be zero maternal deaths, says Collector
District Collector K Venkataramana Reddy (second from left) presiding over the maternal death surveillance response committee meeting in Tirupati on Tuesday. DM&HO and committee convenor Dr U Sreehari and other officials are also seen.
Tirupati: District Collector K Venkataramana Reddy directed the officials concerned to ensure that there should be no maternal deaths either in private or government hospitals. Stating that the target is zero maternal deaths, he mentioned that five deaths took place between June and November 2020 and every death will be audited by the district maternal death surveillance response committee.
Chairing the committee meeting at the Collectorate here on Tuesday, the Collector said that delivery protocol should be followed in every hospital at the time of deliveries. The meeting was attended by family members concerned, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, doctors and other officials. The health of both the mother and the child should be of utmost importance and all tests are to be conducted as per the protocol without giving any scope for even a small mistake.
The Collector said that every pregnant woman should be taken care of from the time of her conceiving. Anganwadi workers have to provide nutritious food to pregnant women and ASHA workers should monitor whether they are getting timely treatment. If any woman goes to other States, she must be contacted and her records need to be obtained to provide proper guidance from the concerned PHC doctor.
"For every maternal death everyone from ASHA worker to doctor present at the time of delivery will be held responsible and there should be no scope for any negligence. If problems arise at the time of deliveries in private hospitals, the same should be informed to the high risk team immediately," he maintained.
When maternal deaths take place, the responses of the family members concerned will be taken into consideration which will be compared with the records and strict action will be initiated against the negligent staff. On the occasion, the Collector obtained the statements of family members relating to the five maternal deaths in the district.
Maternal death surveillance response committee convenor and DM&HO Dr U Sreehari, DCHS Dr Prabhavathi, DIO Dr Santha Kumari, DPMO Srinivasa Rao, Deputy DM&HOs Sudharani and Vikas, Government Maternity Hospital superintendent Dr Parthasarathi, doctors from private hospitals and others attended the meeting.