Odisha: Women to take oath for institutional delivery

Koraput (Odisha), Aug 14: To encourage institutional delivery, Koraput district administration is all set to launch a programme for pregnant women in which they will be asked to take an oath to deliver at health centres only and not through traditional methods at home.

Officials believe that the oath, to be administered to them at the health and nutrition day held every Tuesday and Friday, will have an emotional impact on the pregnant women.

"In spite of several government schemes and machinery to increase the rate of institutional delivery, there are instances where people often waste a lot of time in deciding whether to shift woman in labour to hospital thus endangering their lives," Koraput collector Jaya Kumar V said.

"Unless people are mentally prepared to go to hospital, we can't expect an increase in the number of institutional deliveries. Hence, administering oath is an attempt to create awareness among the pregnant women to opt for institutional delivery", he added.

At present, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Koraput is 154 against one lakh live births against the state and national averages of 202 and 220 respectively. In 2015, out of nearly 30,000 deliveries in the district, abuot 42 deaths were recorded.

In most cases death took place for not taking the women to hospital. Since July the administration has declared a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to any person who brings a pregnant woman to a hospital at the time of her delivery.

PTI