This story is from September 15, 2019

Maharashtra: Crunch hits injectable contraceptive reach

Severe supply crunch of injectable contraceptives has put a brake on the state government’s plan to expand its reach, especially among women from economically backward classes.
Maharashtra: Crunch hits injectable contraceptive reach
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PUNE: Severe supply crunch of injectable contraceptives has put a brake on the state government’s plan to expand its reach, especially among women from economically backward classes.
Last month, the state government had planned to roll out the advanced contraceptive by making it available at civic-run hospitals and select village-level primary health centres (PHCs).
A number of medical officers from the civic-run hospitals and PHCs in Maharashtra had also undergone training in administering the injection in Pune on August 22.
Crunch hits injectable contraceptive reach

Depot medroxyprogestrone acetate (DMPA), an injectable contraceptive, is the sixth modern method that prevents pregnancy for three months after receiving the shot. The biggest advantage of injectable contraceptives is the confidentiality it provides to women. It is also helpful to those who cannot convince their partners to use contraceptives.
“It is the Union health ministry that provides injectable contraceptives to states under the National Family Welfare Programme. However, there has been a shortage of doses. Hence, our plan to roll out injectable contraceptives at civic-run hospitals and select PHCs in Maharashtra has taken a beating,” an official from the State Family Welfare Bureau said.
Another senior official said, “Along with the shortage, there is also the issue of underutilization of earlier doses. In 2017, the Union health ministry had provided 75,000 doses of injectable contraceptive to Maharashtra. Of these, only 40,000 doses were utilized between 2017 and 2019. Currently, 30,000 doses are still available at state-run medical colleges attached hospitals, district and women hospitals in the state. Since earlier doses were not used in the stipulated period, the health ministry reduced the allocation, affecting the state government’s expansion plan.”

Currently, the government offers five birth-control options free-of-cost under the family planning programme, which include female and sterilization, intrauterine device, condoms and pills.
Medical practitioner and health activist Sanjay Dabhade said, “The contraceptives should only be administered after proper counselling where the possible side-effects, such as irregularity in menstrual cycle, should be discussed with the women in detail.”
DMPA requires intramuscular administration on the arms or buttocks. It constitutes a female hormone that helps prevent the egg from being released from the ovary.
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About the Author
Umesh Isalkar

Umesh Isalkar is principal correspondent at The Times of India, Pune. He has a PG degree in English literature and is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Umesh covers public health, medical issues, bio-medical waste, municipal solid waste management, water and environment. He also covers research in the fields of medicine, cellular biology, virology, microbiology, biotechnology. He loves music and literature.

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