The case of disappearing mid-wives of tribal Gujarat

Traditional birth attendants play a central role in remote areas. But due to the govt's push towards institutional deliveries, younger women have stopped taking up the profession

Kaliben Dholbhai Baria is a resident of Moghadhra village in Panchmahal district of Gujarat. The 55 year old has been a traditional birth attendant or a dai for over three decades.

“I have never lost a child in 30 years,” she said in an interview to Sahaj, an NGO that works on women’s issues in the area.

Hoyanis, as they are called in parts of eastern Gujarat like Dahod and Panchmahal, are the only medical assistance a pregnant woman can get in the area. Almost two decades have gone by since the Indian government decided to encourage institutional deliveries under the National