Maternal Health Matters

Context: The pandemic has ampli?ed many inequalities that shows up sharply the state’s abdication of responsibility towards the welfare of pregnant women.

Achievements in Maternal healthcare:

• Providing cash incentives: to those that have institutional birth.
• Elaborate tracking systems: have been instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to track every pregnant woman, infant, and child until they turn 5.
• Lowering of Maternal Mortality rate (MMR): from 167 deaths per lakh births in 2011-13 to 122 per lakh (SRS 2017).

Impact of COVID:

• Forgotten by state: No reference was made to provide emergency services for pregnant women in need.
• During the 12 weeks, approximately 9,00,000 pregnant women needed critical care had to face enormous hurdles.
• Added to this were the women who have had miscarriages or sought abortions: that would be another 45,000 women every single day.
• Compounded confusions: due to the government’s guidelines:
• Pregnant women had to be ‘recently’ tested and certi?ed COVID-19 negative to enter a ‘general hospital’ leading to delays.
• Overburdened public health system:  Most secondary and tertiary hospitals were either designated as COVID facilities or those unequipped with PPEs.
• Stigma and Paranoia: while admitting pregnant women in hospitals in light of pandemic spread results in to adverse fallout on pregnant women.
• Amplified inequalities: Combining with neglect of state, it has put the entire responsibility of health protection on the individual citizen.

Way Forward:

• Scrutinize role of the private sector: Around 80% of doctors and 64% beds (private sector) are either.
• Closed or stepped back fearing infection or;
• Are charging exorbitant prices.