Delhi Government targets 100 per cent institutional births

New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said her government was keen to ensure 100 per cent institutional births in the national capital besides providing adequate health care to the new-born babies and their mothers.

This would also help in overcoming emergency situations during delivery, she told a review meeting of the Health and Family Welfare Department here.

''Certain local nursing homes are being authorised under the national health missions. All efforts will be made to utilise Mamta scheme and Asha workers for this purpose.'' The Chief Minister underlined the need for expanding maternity care services in the capital city. The government would chalk out a policy to ensure reservation of a certain percentage of beds exclusively for maternity care services in all city hospitals.

The policy would be placed before the Cabinet for approval, she added.

Ms Dikshit further said that due to lack of adequate maternity care, it was becoming difficult to provide quality health services to the new-born babies and their mothers.

Around 100 beds in 200-bedded Kokiwala Bagh hospital would be kept reserved for maternity services, she said, emphasising the need for providing maternity services near residential colonies.

The Chief Minister said her government would provide huge financial assistance to the MCD for improvement of its 32 maternity centres and make these optimally functional.

A survey has been conducted for better utilisation of these centres, she said, adding by upgrading these centres another 450 beds for maternity services would become available.

The Chief Minister said a separate maternity hospital would also be constructed in Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya at Geeta Colony.

Besides, a 64 bed maternity hospital at Nasirpur and a 36 bed hospital at Kanti Nagar would also be commissioned very soon.

Ms Dikshit said all 100-bed hospitals would be modernised and well equipped to overcome the influx of patients. Private diagnostic centres would be authorised to discourage patients to rush to big hospitals for minor tests, she added.

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