Help safe motherhood, MLAs told

CHIEF MINISTER Shivraj Singh Chauhan today said it was a stigma that in Madhya Pradesh 25 women die every day due to complications in pregnancy. He said although there were policies and schemes to address the issue, the major bottleneck was their implementation.

CHIEF MINISTER Shivraj Singh Chauhan today said it was a stigma that in Madhya Pradesh 25 women die every day due to complications in pregnancy. He said although there were policies and schemes to address the issue, the major bottleneck was their implementation.

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Speaking at an orientation workshop for legislators organised by the State Public Health and Family Welfare Department at the conference hall of Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday evening, the Chief Minister announced that health institutions would be equipped with adequate facilities to promote institutional deliveries that were important to save mothers. He also said that special strategies would be adopted for safe motherhood in villages.

The Chief Minister said if awareness could be instilled in people they would come forward to take the advantage of these schemes. When people come forward it will strengthen the system and make it more it responsive. He urged MLAs to help strengthen the monitoring of the implementation of policies and administration.

Speaker Ishwardas Rohani who presided over the function said it was sad that even today the State had such a large number of deaths and people needed to come forward to help bring this down.

He appealed to legislators to bring the issue to the centre stage of debate and discussion at the State Assembly and demand greater accountability of the public service. He said that this issue could be taken by the standing committee of the legislative Assembly.

Deputy Speaker Hajari Lal Raghuvanshi said services should reach the poor and those in villages. He said progress had been made but still a lot needs to be done. Health Minister Ajay Bishnoi spoke on the role of legislative members and how their support could make the system more efficient.

Health Principal Secretary M M Updhayay spoke on the objective of the meet while Director Public Health Dr Yogiraj Sharma shared the present status of maternal mortality. In his presentation he shared that still 69 per cent deliveries in the State were at home and districts like Sidhi and Chhattarpur were still backward in institutional deliveries.

The orientation was followed by a cultural programme featuring laughter master Ehsaan Qureshi.