Maha: BNMC to make institutional deliveries compulsory

The Bhiwandi Nizampur MunicipalCorporation (BNMC) here in Maharashtra has decided not toallow deliveries of pregnant women at home due to lack ofadequate health facilities there, an official said on Sunday.

It has been observed that many a times deliveries athome in slums and rural areas lead to death of the pregnantwoman and the child, the civic body's health officer Dr K RKharat said.

Around 12,000 to 13,000 deliveries are recorded inBhiwandi town in a year, of which 3,000 to 4,000 are non-institutional, he said.

These deliveries at home are carried out by midwives,and women and children do not get proper health facilities, henoted.

Hence, Bhiwandi Nizammpur Municipal Commissioner DrPankaj Ashiya has decided to compulsorily implement the'Arogya Sakhi' programme and make it mandatory for deliveriesto be conducted at government or civic hospitals, he said.

Presently, there are 15 civic-run health centres inthe Bhiwandi Nizampur municipal limits, he said.

The Arogya Sakhi programme trains women healthentrepreneurs (Arogya Sakhis) from communities in resource-poor rural areas to provide home-based preventive care,perform diagnostic tests and screen for high risk factors andensure early referral during antenatal and infancy period.

Kharat said the civic body will soon appoint 20'Arogya Sakhis' in every health centre of BNMC forimplementation of the programme of institutional deliveries.

These sakhis will move around the slums and otherareas and ensure that women are taken to health centres forcheck-up and delivery.