BENGALURU: The health department has now issued instructions to deputy commissioners of each district, to try and reopen maternal and child health wings (MCH) wings, by taking a call based on the number of daily Covid cases being reported in the district and the number of beds available for Covid patients, said Dr N Rajkumar, Deputy Director, Mother Health Programme.
Of the 35 functional government maternal and child health wings (MCH) across the state, some were converted to provide Covid services entirely during the pandemic. Among these, five of the MCH wings were newly-built in Kundapur, Chitradurga, Devanahalli, Bagalkot and Hosapete last year but were not opened for maternal and pediatric patients. Instead, they were used to isolate Covid patients.MCH wings cater to children, maternal health services, including delivery, newborn care and family planning. Sanitisation of wings will be done entirely before throwing them open for MCH services.
“MCH services were
affected during the lockdown and the pandemic as a whole, with lack of sufficient inpatient and outpatient public health care, and maternal patients not stepping out due to the fear of the virus. During deliveries, the burden on BBMP hospitals in fact doubled in Bengaluru,” Dr Rajkumar added.As many as 15 MCH wings are under construction and will need more time before they open up and 15 more will be ready by March or April this year, in Karnataka.
“Non-Covid services, including antenatal care, suffered during the pandemic as many hospitals were converted to Covid hospitals only and even pregnant women were scared to step out for check-ups. In Vani Vilas Hospital, we saw non-Covid pregnant cases during the lockdown and pandemic. We also took in Covid pregnancy cases initially in the Trauma Care Centre and later at Gosha Hospital, where medical professionals were sent from Vani Vilas to handle deliveries,” said Dr Anitha G S, assistant professor, OBG department, Vani Vilas Hospital in Bengaluru.