CHENNAI: The State’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has dropped from 15 last year to 13 this year, according to a Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin released on Thursday. IMR is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.
As per the SRS bulletin for 2022, Tamil Nadu has the second lowest IMR after Kerala, which has a mortality rate of six, among the big States. Though the average IMR of TN is 13, it is 15 in rural areas and 10 in urban areas. SRS is a large scale demographic survey held by the office of the Registration General of India every year.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Ma Subramanian told reporters at government Chengalpattu medical college hospital on Friday that the State government was determined to bring IMR to zero in the next five years. Now, 60% of deliveries are conducted in government hospitals and this should be increased to 75% in the next 2-3 years, said Subramanian.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr S Srinivasan, Nodal Officer for Child Health, said several government schemes and vaccinations in time helped the State reduce the IMR. Neonatal deaths, however, continue to be a major issue. More deaths were happening among infants weighing less than one kg during birth. A way to prevent such deaths is to prevent premature deliveries. Again, many factors play a role in premature deliveries. So, those issues should be addressed first.
New building for hosp
Subramanian laid the foundation stone for a building to be constructed at `1.32 crore at the government Chengalpattu medical college hospital under CSR activities. He also inaugurated a nutrition park designed by Dr Sowmya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist, at the hospital. The park will educate mothers about the nutrition to be provided to infants in the first 1,000 days of their lives.
He also launched the provision of a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) number on PICME. 2.0 app. Every expectant mother would be assigned a number when they register on the app. The number will help health staff track the pregnancy status of the women and the child’s health. Earlier in the day, the minister participated in the two-day workshop organised by the National Immunisation Programme for training district health officials to improve the vaccination coverage of children and expectant mothers.
He said 9.32 lakh infants and 10.22 lakh expectant mothers benefitted through immunisation every year. The State offered 11 types of vaccines to prevent 12 types of diseases.