Hospital better than home for post-natal care

ALLAHABAD: Even as the health department is planning to offer extra facilities including monetary benefits to women from the villages coming for delivery at different delivery units, still they are finding it difficult to convince them about staying back after delivery (in case of normal delivery) for at-least 24 to 48 hours for the safety of both mother and child.
About 29 percent rural women and their family members have failed to follow the safety norms of retaining both the child and mother during post delivery period, revealed health officials.
Data revealed that about 71.09 percent women (19,551 out of 27,500 women) had stayed at delivery units for more 24 or 48 hours and even gained the free meal and back drop facility.
Data further revealed that in last eight months (April 1 to November 30, 2013), a total of 27,500 women have benefited from the Janani Shishu Suraksha (JSS) programme of National Rural Health Mission. The programme offers five free cost services, including free transportation, meals, treatment (medicines), investigations and blood transfusion, to ensure best medical assistance to pregnant women.
Around 4,488 women were benefited in November month alone in, which 4137 had stayed at medical units post delivery and gained the facility of meals. In the same month, 3250 women were also benefited the back drop facility. Apart from medicines, these women also underwent requisite tests/investigations.
NRHM officials said, "We are motivating health workers ASHA and ANMs to make wide approach to pregnant women and apprise them about the JSSK. If basic health workers take interest, more pregnant women could be benefited and this would surely be able to check infant\ maternal mortality rate," said a senior health official adding, "We plan to take the scheme to remotest villages for the benefit of poor women," he added.
District Programme Manager (DPM), NRHM, VK Singh told TOI, "Post delivery, 24 or 48 hours are crucial for both mother and child and we are making attempts to apprise this fact to villagers so that they can stay at delivery units and get adequate facilities". He further added that if both mother and child stay at units and get adequate medical cover, it would be helpful to check IMR and MMR.
He further added, "There were many cases where women get complications after deliveries and doctors advise them to stay for better care and treatment".
He, however, said JSSK has been offering a ray of hope to pregnant women in rural and urban areas. Pregnant women can go for childbirth in public health institutions for free. So far, 27,500 women were benefited from the scheme till November end.
Under the initiative, a pregnant woman enrolled under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) is entitled to free transport from home to the government health facility, in case she is referred on account of complications, and also drop-back home after 48 hours of delivery.
Basic health workers are being motivated to get the scheme popularized among target beneficiaries and apprise them of its advantages.
Singh, meanwhile, added that women enrolled under JSSP were being offered free medicines and consumables, diagnostics, blood whenever required, and diet for the duration of a woman's stay in the facility, three days in case of a normal delivery and seven days in case of a cesarean section.
He said similar entitlements have been put in place for sick newborns in public health institutions for 30 days after birth. They would be entitled to free treatment besides free transport, both ways, and between facilities in case of a referral.
During pregnancy, childbirth and in post natal period, investigations are essential for timely diagnosis of complications and problems, which women can face during the process of childbirth. Both essential and desirable investigations (required) are conducted free of cost for the pregnant women during ANC, PNC, INC up to six weeks, which includes investigations required prior to both normal delivery and cesarean.
Chief medical officer, Allahabad, Dr Padmakar Singh said: "The department is promoting the scheme among beneficiaries and also ensuring regular procurement and availability of drugs and consumables at delivery units". He further added we are also approaching target groups and apprising them the benefits of scheme.
The state health authorities have provided a total of 972 Uttar Pradesh Ambulance services at all health centres for pregnant women and the facility is available at L-3 delivery unit, L-2 unit, state center medical college for the same.