VIZIANAGARAM: Taking the instances of deliveries that are being reported en route the hospitals, particularly from hilltop areas of Parvathipuram, Parvathipuram ITDA PO Dr. Laxmisha has decided to bring down all pregnant women, residing on the hilltop areas, to the plains two months before their expected date of delivery (EDD).
To ensure that all the pregnant women living in the ITDA limits deliver their babies at the hospitals, ITDA administration has taken the decision, said Dr. Ravi Kumar, the Parvathipuram deputy DM&HO. He also said that Laxmisha had promised to set up a care and protection home, with all amenities, for the pregnant women coming from the hilltop areas at Parvatipuram. Two staff nurses and ANMs would be deployed in the home for taking care of the pregnant women shifted from the hilltop areas, he said.
The parents and family members of the pregnant women would be given assurance by the ITDA that care of the women carrying would be taken by the authorities, Ravi Kumar said.
The care and protection home will have 30 beds with all amenities at Parvathipuram. Ravi Kumar also said that all the 20 primary health centres, five community health centres and one area hospital in the ITDA limits had birth waiting halls, where the pregnant women could be shifted in advance. There are fans, clean beds and bathrooms in all birth waiting halls.
“At present there are around 25 pregnant women - especially from the hilltop areas - who will be delivering in the next two months, in accordance with their EDD,” said the deputy DM&HO. “Following instructions of the PO we will bring all the pregnant women, who are in eighth and ninth month of their pregnancy, to the care and protection home, soon after it is ready,” he said.
Speaking on the Masikka Chintavalasa incident, in which a tribal woman delivered on the way to the hospital and which was reported on Saturday, he said that the two-wheeler ambulance, along with ANM had been waiting for her at the foothill area. The hilltop village of Masikka Chintavalasa is 4.5 km from the foothills. Unfortunately, the pregnant woman delivered when she reached 3 km down from the hilltop. The feeder ambulance however, was waiting all the while, 1.5 km away. After coming to know of the delivery ANM rushed to the spot and administered first-aid, besides vaccinating the baby, Ravi Kumar said.
According to a source, although it is mandatory to admit a pregnant woman to the nearby hospital at least three days prior to the delivery date, majority of the tribal people are reluctant to admit them to the hospital till the last moment because of the fear of loss of daily
wages.