ROURKELA: Despite the State government spending huge amount of money on ‘Maa Gruha’ or maternity waiting homes (MWH), poor implementation on ground has marred their effectiveness. The scheme was envisaged to ensure pregnant women from remote areas of tribal-dominated Sundargarh district are taken to hospitals for delivery at least 15 days ahead of the expected date of delivery.
Sources said a pregnant woman of Hemgir, Sumita Soy (23) complained of labour pain after getting down from a bus at Sundargarh town on Friday. However, since the ambulance could not reach her on time, Sumita delivered a premature baby in a toilet near the bus stand.
Similarly, in January this year a poor woman of remote Patratoli area of Birmitrapur town delivered at home and died hours later without getting hospital care. In July a pregnant woman of Taparia gram panchayat in Hemgir block was carried on a cot to an ambulance while she experienced labour pain. Such cases expose chinks in implementation of multiple health schemes meant for women’s welfare.
Sundargarh CDMO Dr SK Mishra said as per preliminary inquiry report, Sumitra had arrived at Sundargarh for ultrasound test on Friday without informing health or anganwadi worker concerned. “The woman had history of death of three prematurely born babies and the fourth was also prematurely born after seven months. Instructions have been issued to identify high-risk pregnancies and admit such cases at MWHs for safe delivery,” Mishra said.
MWH Status
Dist has 26 functional MWHs
4 more getting ready for 197 hard-to-reach pockets
10 MWHs are functioning under NHM
Rest funded by the Sundargarh DMF
Mandatory 12 beds in each MWH
4 extra beds for post-partum care of mothers.
Local health workers admit pregnant women to MWHs 15 days ahead of the expected date of delivery.
From January-September 2020: Pre-natal and post-natal care services rendered to 3,809 expectant and 2,360 lactating mothers through 20 MWHs.