Despite a host of Government schemes, the MMR and IMR in tribal dominated Sundargarh district are still a cause of concern.
As per the data revealed by the Sundargarh district Health Department, while in 2011-12 out of total delivery cases of 34,646 in the district, institutional deliveries were 30,094, 4,552 deliveries took place at home. Similarly, while 997 infants died, 70 mothers died after child birth.
In 2012-13, total deliveries were 31001, institutional deliveries were 26,977, domestic deliveries 4,024, 872 infants died and 60 mothers died. In 2013-14, of 31,605 deliveries, 28, 352 deliveries took place in hospitals while 3,253 took place at home. 886 infants and 55 mothers died. In 2014-15, 30,233 babies were born, including 27,508 at hospitals and 2,725 at home. 759 infants and 59 mothers died. In 2015-16, 28,536 babies were delivered, with 26,506 at hospitals and 2,031 at homes. 651 infants and 56 mothers were killed.
Though the MMR and IMR are coming down over the years, but still the figures are a cause of worry in comparison to the national average.
like other districts of the State, Sundargarh also faces staff shortage and inadequate infrastructure facility in the health sector. As a result, many of the patients are accommodated on floor and varandas in an unhealthy and unhygienic condition. Besides, the district being tribal-dominated, there are people who still prefer Ayurvedic treatment and witchcraft.
Even in many isolated areas neither the health workers reach the pregnant mothers nor do they aware them about the Government schemes. Even many of them do not follow the guidelines of vaccination and immunisation during pregnancy and also for the infants after birth. That is the main reason of high incidence of MMR and IMR in the district, opined many. Besides the increase in migrant labour population from the neighbouring States to the district might be a reason of high mother and child deaths.
According to the sources, Special New Born Care Units (SNCU) in both the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) at Sundargarh and Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) have been running in over-occupied capacity. In the 12 bed SNCU at RGH, as many as 24 babies are accommodated and in 16 bed SNCU unit at the Sundargarh DHH, 32 babies are offered treatment with two babies in one bed.
The doctors, however, agreed high risk of infection in the case of two babies in one bed, but they have no other option. “Since the patient turnout is high, we have no other option than accommodate two babies in one bed. But we take utmost care so that the babies do not get infected,” said RGH CMO Dr RK Behera.
On the other side, there are 20 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in district. Out of these, in six CHCs there has been no grant for child specialist post and in another five CHCs, child specialist post are lying vacant. In the rest 11 CHCs, according to sources, there are no child specialists and in their posts, doctors of other departments are working.
Besides looking into the scenario in these 20 CHCs, the people who are living in village areas must have been suffering a lot due to dearth of child specialists and gynaecologists. Even if specialist doctors are required for better health of people of district, there should be healthy and hygienic environment in hospitals along with good medical equipment which is not available in any of the CHCs.