Maternal mortality must be checked says Collector J Nivas

Vijayawada: Krishna district Collector J Nivas has warned that stern action would be taken against the officials and the staff of PHCs and government hospitals if maternal mortality is recorded due to unavailability of treatment.

Nivas made it clear that the hospital doctors and staff must take the responsibility of treating the patients particularly the pregnant women. Collector Nivas conducted a review meeting with the officials of the Medical and Health department on Tuesday. The Collector said Krishna district ranks first in the per capita income in Andhra Pradesh but lags behind in providing treatment to the pregnant women and infants.

He lamented the district has very poor track record on maternal mortality. He said some PHCs and community Health Centres are referring the pregnant women cases to the government hospitals in Vijayawada and Machilipatnam.

He said 2-3 hours time is very important for pregnant women and they may die while going to the hospital in Vijayawada and Machilipatnam.

He lamented that maternal mortalities are reported in the district in recent months in spite of the nutritional food supplied to the pregnant women through the anganwadi centres and corporate level treatment is given in the government hospitals.

He instructed the ANMs and Anganwadi staff to take care of the pregnant women in their respective areas and take them to the nearest hospitals if they notice illness. He asked the ANMs and Anganwadi workers to protect the women from malnutrition and anemia and follow the immunisation chart. Nivas said all Community Health Centres are transformed into blood storage points. He said blood storage points are not operated in Challapalli, Gannavaram, Mylavaram, Vuyyuru, Vissannapeta and other places due to minor reasons. He asked the officials to restore the CHCs as the blood storage points.

He said it is incorrect on the part of the doctors and staff working in the health centres recommending the pregnant cases to the hospitals in Vijayawada and Machilipatnam. He said some women are dying while on way to the hospitals from the rural areas due to not availability of treatment. Joint Collector L Siva Sankar, ZP CEO Surya Prakash, District Medical and Health Officer Dr M Suhasini, Deputy DM and HO Dr J Usharani and other officials and staff attended the review meeting.