RAIPUR: As many as 3,184 newborns have died in Chhattisgarh in the past six months, with Surguja
districts having the worst figures.
This comes at a time when the government is tom-tomming its success in reducing infant deaths, and the recently launched scheme to give nutritious food to pregnant women. With only a year to go for elections, Congress is gearing up to corner the three-term BJP government on issue.
Congress workers on Friday staged demonstration and burnt effigies of health minister in Koriya district condemning the deaths of newborn.
TOI accessed a government report that shows alarming mortality of 3,184 newborns while 221 maternal deaths. Of these, Surguja tops the number with 236 deaths of newborn, 228 in Kanker and 223 in Rajnandgaon district.
This, despite recently launched scheme of Mehtari Jatan Yojna to provide best nutritious diet to 2.5 lakh pregnant women at Aanganwadi centres across state, inaugurated by chief minister in Koriya district.
Confirming the authenticity of report, director health services R Prasanna said, “Preventive steps are being taken to reduce infant mortality by introducing 'sick new born unit' in all districts, new born sterilization units at community health centres -where infants with complications are stabilized, and new born care centres are also being established at delivery points.”
He, however, said that according to the latest report of Sample Registration System (SRS), Chhattisgarh has witnessed decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 39 point which was earlier 41 (of deaths per 1000 live births) while the national average is 34, hence, state is close to national average. State's IMR
is also better than Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Calling it a serious case of negligence both on part of ministers for health Ajay Chandrakar and women and child department Ramsheela Sahu, main opposition Congress condemned alleging that thousands of children were dying untimely death due to sheer carelessness of government.
"If mothers are weak and anemic, the babies would be malnourished, schemes for pregnant women don’t really reach them. Tribal children suffer from several diseases like TB, malaria, malnutrition but the departments responsible for them including women and child department and health department are busy covering up the matter via their hollow “welfare schemes”. We demand that both the ministers explain the reason of deaths and take action against the officers responsible," said Gyanesh Sharma, Congress spokesperson.
Government avoids introducing eggs in feeding programmes. When contacted, Sulakshana Nandi of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan that works actively in health sector, said, “In Chhattisgarh there has been reduction in infant deaths and malnutrition in the last decade but the rates are still high and unacceptable. Anganwadis are critical nutrition programme for children and women but there have great issues with the quality of food being provided. Despite demands from community and campaigns, the government has not introduced eggs in the feeding programmes whereas neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Odisha are giving eggs in ICDS and Mid day meals with the same amount of funds.”
Citing the loopholes, she said that for the self help groups that run nutritional programmes fro pregnant women and newborns aren’t given funds on time, leading to compromising the quality of food for children and Mehetari Jatan Yojna.
Today, more women in Chhattisgarh are delivering in facilities - 70% as per NFHS 4, but the quality of care and availability of emergency care in case of complications to the mother or newborn, remains a huge gap. The health system needs to strengthen the facilities from sub centre to district hospitals. Many lives are lost in referring to a higher facility, whereas the lower facility could've been strengthened to deal with some of the issues.
The highest malnutrition and mortality is seen among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups like Baigas, Pahari Korwas, Kamars etc. A study by PHRN found that 55.5% Baiga children under 5 were underweight (against state average of 37.7% as per NFHS 4). Also, 57% Baiga adult women (nearly double of state average of 26.7% as per NFHS 4) are thin, i.e. have BMI less than 18.5. Multiple pregnancies due to sterilisation restriction and very high poverty among these communities have led to this.
Social sector budgets (for nutrition, health, education) are decreasing year by year. This can only mean that things will get worse. And instead of strengthening its own health facilities and improving primary and secondary care, it is prioritising is RSBY/MSBY insurance through which more than 80% of the funds go to private sector which are mostly concentrated in few urban centres. This year government will spend more than Rs. 400 crore on premium for RSBY/MSBY, which could instead have been used to improve Primary health centres, Community health centres, district hospitals, buy medicines.