6% TN women still deliver at home, reveals survey

CHENNAI: Recent data put out by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) has punctured Tamil Nadu’s claim that it has achieved 99.9% institutionalised deliveries. According to NSSO statistics, for every 1,000 women in the age group of 15-49 who delivered last year, 57 (nearly 6%) gave birth at their home.
For a state that boasts of advanced medical care and easy accessibility to hospitals, or at least public health centres, the numbers seem bad as childbirth at home could result in several consequences for the mother and the baby.
Childbirth at home could be potentially disastrous for both mother and baby as it involves a lot of complications, warned senior gynecologist Dr Jaishree Gajaraj. “The mother could suffer from post-partum haemorrhage where she would end up bleeding profusely. Or there could be complications such as obstructed labour or foetal distress which can result in the loss of the baby,” she said.
Dr Gajaraj said even if the woman had an obstetrician by her side while she went into labour at home, it may not help much since the complications can easily spiral out of control when there are no good medical facilities.
Doctors Association for Social Equality general secretary Dr G R Ravindranath said childbirth at home still happen in rural and hilly areas where accessibility to hospitals is low. “People still practise unsafe methods like cutting the umbilical cord with unhygienic knives. Though there is awareness about institutional delivery, accessibility remains a problem,” he said.
The director of public health Dr K Kolandaisamy, however, said there is no way the survey numbers could be accurate as Tamil Nadu has recorded a 99.9% institutional delivery last year. “There were home deliveries taking place till 2006. But now we have achieved a good institutional delivery rate and our records are proof,” he said.
The official said according to state data, there were 23.4% PHC deliveries, 44.4% public hospital deliveries, 32% private hospital deliveries. There was only 1% home births which included deliveries in vehicles, he said.