KRISHNAGIRI: Regular follow-up and early interventions have helped bring the (MMR) in Krishnagiri district to zero for January-April this year, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2017, this was the first time the district recorded zero maternal mortality for the period.
According to Health Department data, 42,331 deliveries took place in the district during January-April from 2017 to 2021, and 20 maternal deaths were reported. Three maternal deaths were reported during the corresponding period in 2020, and 11 in 2019.
Deputy Director of Health Services V Govindan said, "Regular follow-up from primary care to tertiary care by village health nurse, doctors and others helped in achieving this feat. Upon identifying high-risk mothers, antenatal mothers with anaemia, higher-order births, complication of pregnancy with heart disease, hypertension and others, they provide necessary health care and guidance. Iron sucrose injection is given and camps are conducted at all primary health centres and health sub-centres every week."
Joint Director of Health Services P Paramasivan said, "Every month Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services (CEmONC) meeting is conducted with block medical officers, obstetricians, gynaecologists, village health nurses and others. All 10 blocks in the district have got a gynaecologist assigned for guidance purposes. The gynaecologists visit the areas in their blocks every month to follow up with high-risk antenatal mother cases. This apart, the patients' doctors discuss the medical complication of their patients with block-level senior doctors, and village health nurses follow up with high-risk mothers every month."
The JDHS instructed government doctors to contact him or CEmONC nodal officer when there was a complication during delivery. Also, if needed, a staff nurse or a doctor is sent along with the patient to the nearby Government Medical College Hospital at the time of delivery.
Collector Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy said, "After registering with primary health centres, antenatal mothers regularly follow up with village health nurses in their villages and doctors at hospitals. Also, review meetings have helped in reducing maternal mortality in the district."