Hry govt warns midwives against risky home deliveries

The Haryana government has issued directions to the midwives in the state to stay away from the practice of delivery at home, failing which stern action would be taken against them.
During an investigation by the state health department in Dabwali Block of Sirsa district recently, a case surfaced where normal deliveries were being conducted in Punjab.
But the registration of birth was being done in Haryana, said Amneet P Kumar, Mission Director- National Health Mission (NHM).
"This continues unabated in the areas adjacent to neighbouring Punjab, in connivance with some midwives, who after conducting the deliveries in Punjab, send the women to the offices of Municipal Council in Haryana for registration.

"The concerned Municipal Council has been asked to take stern action against these midwives," she added.
Though various facilities like medicine, laboratory testing, ultrasound, blood and transportation are being provided to the pregnant women free of cost in government hospitals in the state, the practice still continues, she further added.

Kumar said the state government has set a target to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the state to less than 70 by the year 2030 as per the sustainable development goals of World Health Organization (WHO).
The state government is committed to reduce both the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Kumar said.

She said that efforts are being made to promote safe institutional delivery in the state.
'Zero Home Delivery Campaign' has been launched jointly by the health department and National Health Mission (NHM), Haryana to apprise the people about various facilities being given for institutional delivery and also about its benefit.
Under the campaign, a series of meetings were held with health officers, employees, and religious preachers in the districts where the number of home-deliveries are quite high. They have been urged to make efforts to bring home deliveries to zero, she said.
Apart from this, accredited social health activists, Lady Health Visitor (LHV) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) have been asked to make the people aware in their respective areas about various facilities being given by the government for institutional delivery, she stated in an official release.