TN sets up task force at state, district-levels to bring down maternal mortality
The task force will be headed by the Health Secretary Supriya Sahu and will consist of experts, and representatives from the Indian Medical Association, WHO UNICEF, etc.
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CHENNAI: The government passed an order to set up a task force with the goal to bring down the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the State from the existing 45.5 to below 10 in the next two years.
The task force will be headed by the Health Secretary Supriya Sahu and will consist of experts, and representatives from the Indian Medical Association, WHO UNICEF, etc.
The National Health Mission data shows that at the current birth rate, a total of 8,78,271 births take place in our State and 54 women die per 1 lakh live births due to various reasons. The most common causes of Maternal Deaths in Tamil Nadu include postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, sepsis, heart disease, and abortion.
As over 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, the Mission Director of, the National Health Mission submitted a proposal to set up a State and a district-level task force for prevention of maternal mortality in the State.
The health secretary stated that the task force will introduce a new and robust Pre-Birth Planning Mechanism (PBPM) to seal gaps in the provision of critical care for pregnant women both in the government and private sector.
The task force will examine the causes of maternal mortality and take corrective action to prevent deaths while working in coordination with various departments of the government. It will also ensure the availability of critical reproductive and maternal services to all pregnant women and address inequities. The task force will focus on improving data management systems and data quality to ensure better and timely reporting of data.
The district task force, led by the district collector, will work under the state task force to improve maternal and child healthcare through a comprehensive strategy, by providing proper care to all pregnant women attending government and private sector institutions.
At the district level, it will undertake comprehensive birth planning for every pregnant woman and review and monitor the admission, treatment, and discharge process of pregnant women before and post delivery. It will also focus on post-partum care management. It will also strengthen infrastructure, supplies, and equipment at all facilities meant for childbirth.