Eluru: District collector K Vetriselvi has warned that strict action will be taken against the doctors and staff if there are any maternal and infant deaths in the district due to negligence in medical services.

The District Maternal and Infant Mortality Control Committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of the district collector at the Collectorate here on Wednesday. On the occasion, the Collector reviewed the maternal and infant deaths that occurred in the district during the three months from April to June with the medical officers. Speaking on the occasion, she said that the medical officers should work with the aim of ensuring that no mother should die while giving birth and no child should die while being born. The collector said that 3 maternal deaths and 54 infant deaths occurred in the district during the three months from April to June last year, and ordered the medical officers to conduct a comprehensive investigation into these andsubmit a report. Maternal and infant deaths occur due to anaemia, malnutrition, and various health problems.

To prevent this from happening, every ASHA, health worker, and health supervisor should be constantly available to women from the time of conception to delivery and collect health details from time to time. ICDS staff should also provide nutritious food and ensure that they are free from anaemia. Counselling should be conducted for pregnant women registered at primary health centres, especially high-risk pregnant women. Necessary medical tests should be conducted regularly every month and special attention should be paid to those suffering from anaemia. High-risk cases should be referred to the nearest good CHC or area hospital for better medical services.

Awareness should be created to reduce weight in the case of overweight (OBCT) pregnant women. Steps should be taken to provide better medical care in hospitals. In cases of preventable deaths, senior medical officers should be investigated and a case study should be conducted.

In addition to providing good nutrition to pregnant women until delivery, pregnant women and newborns should be vaccinated at the prescribed time.

DCHS Dr Paul Satish Kumar, DMHO Dr PJ Amrutham, NTR Arogyasri District Coordinator Dr Rajiv, ICDS PD P Sarada, doctors from several private hospitals, several medical officers and others participated in the meeting.