Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, inaugurating a conclave ‘No Child Born to Die’ organised by the Save the Children here on Sunday, said awareness and education certainly plays a bigger role in reduction of infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR).
Nayak cited the example of low IMR and MMR in Kerala where higher literacy rate has played a major role in addressing the issue. Education would make people aware about the care of neonatal, he added.
The Minister stated that the State Government was preparing to implement the plan of the Central Government wherein a medical team comprising doctors, paramedic staff equipped with medical facilities would travel to every school in regular intervals for health check-up and treatment. He asserted that there is much more to be done in the coming days to further reduce IMR, and MMR in the State.
According to the Sample Registration System 2012, in every thousand live births 53 infants die in Odisha, which is higher than the national average of 42 per 1000 live births.
Nayak also informed that the State Government has planned to open more special newborn child care units (SNCU) across the State for treatment of neonatal. The conclave was attended by several elected people’s representatives, noted national and State level experts on maternal and child health, civil society organisations and media.
Save the Children’s deputy director programme Manabendra Nath Ray Among others, senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy, BJP leader Pratap Sarangi, Mahendra Parida from CPI(Ml) liberation, Nishikant Mohapatra and Bikas Das from Aam Aadmi Party, RPI leader Ashok Mallick, Dr Saraswati Swain and Prof AK Sen spoke in the conclave.