Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, August 5

Despite the government opening a long chain of mother and child care centres, the Health Department seems to have failed to control maternal deaths in the state.

As per Health Department’s own data, over the past three months (April to June), 87 pregnant women died due to various reasons. Half of those deaths were reported from the bordering districts. As per the data, 40 deaths occurred in just four districts, namely Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran.

According to sources, the issue came to light during a meeting where it was pointed out that despite having over 90 per cent institutional deliveries, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Punjab was much higher than the national average. Punjab’s MMR is 104 per lakh live births against the national average of 97.

The issue was recently flagged with the civil surgeons by the Health Department. Dr Ravinderpal Kaur, who has been posted as Director, Family Welfare, said she had written to the civil surgeons concerned and asked them to review every death.

Last month, CM Bhagwant Mann dedicated the 36th Mother and Child Care Centre at Budhlada to the people. The hospital was constructed at a cost of Rs 5.1 crore to provide necessary facilities to pregnant women and newborns in Mansa district.

The government had planned total 45 such centres, out of which 36 had already been established.