WB govt setting up waiting hubs for Sundarbans' pregnant women

West Bengal government is setting up hubs in the remote islands of the Sundarbans where pregnant women can wait for few days till they are taken to hospital for delivery.
To overcome the challenge of providing safe motherhood in such geographically remote locations, expecting mothers will be kept in these hubs 7-10 days ahead of their expected delivery date and move them to hospital when delivery time advances, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Facebook.
"For the first time in Bengal, we have started with a new concept of setting up waiting hubs for expecting mothers in the rural hospitals of far-flung areas of Sundarbans like Gosaba, Pathar Pratima and Sandeshkhali," she said.

Already the government was providing transport, medicine, diet and treatment free of cost to expecting mothers in the state.
As a result of all such initiatives, over the last five years, institutional delivery has increased from 68 per cent to 90 per cent and infant mortality rate has reduced from 31 to 27 in Bengal.
The concept of waiting hubs for expecting mothers will give further boost to institutional delivery, reduce infant mortality rate and maternal morbidity, she said.