Bengaluru, Sep 25 Karnataka Minister U T Khader on Friday said the government was committed to eliminating preventable maternal deaths across the state and announced measures to ensure timely, quality healthcare for pregnant women.
He said a dedicated state-level unit for preventing maternal deaths would be established, with a designated officer to coordinate and monitor focused interventions across the state.
Other measures announced included community-level awareness campaigns, strengthening the tracking of high-risk pregnancies and setting up birth waiting homes at district and taluka levels and, wherever required, at primary health centres.
Speaking after inaugurating the state-level workshop on Surakshita Maatrutva Aashwaasana—SUMAN Roadmap 2030, organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Bengaluru, Khader said it was the government’s firm resolve to bring maternal deaths down to zero across the state.
“Our government is committed to bringing maternal deaths down to zero in every part of the state, reaching even the remotest villages. Towards this goal, we have decided to undertake several focused and effective measures,” the state Health minister said in a post on X.
According to the Health Department, Karnataka’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), as per the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) estimate for 2022-24, is 73 per one lakh live births.
The immediate goal of the state is to reduce the MMR to below 70, while working towards the long-term goal of eliminating preventable maternal deaths, the department said.
On the occasion, guidebooks and awareness posters prepared to promote the safety of mothers and newborns, including “Pre-Pregnancy Care” and the “Quality Antenatal Care Programme”, were released.
Khader said community participation would be given special priority, with awareness campaigns conducted at the gram panchayat level to promote maternal health and prevent avoidable maternal deaths.
He said gram panchayats that achieve “Zero Maternal Deaths” would be recognised and felicitated at the state level. Local MLAs would also be involved in identifying and encouraging such gram panchayats in their respective constituencies.
Khader said around 60 per cent of maternal deliveries in Karnataka take place in government hospitals.
“For instance, Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru records a higher number of deliveries than the combined total of private hospitals in the city. Similarly, Vani Vilas Hospital in Bengaluru handles a significant number of deliveries,” he said.
The health minister said government hospitals were continuously upgrading medical infrastructure, adopting advanced technologies and strengthening healthcare services.
“Government doctors must also continuously update their knowledge and skills to effectively utilise these technologies. The SUMAN workshop provides an important platform for this learning and exchange of best practices,” he said.
He said the causes of maternal deaths varied from district to district and, therefore, district-level teams of officers would identify the specific local causes and take timely corrective action.
“We will further strengthen the system for early identification and continuous tracking of High-Risk Pregnancies (HRPs). Birth Waiting Homes will be established at the district and taluka levels and, wherever required, at PHCs,” Khader said.
The minister said high-risk pregnant women identified well in advance could stay at a birth waiting home about a week before their expected date of delivery, depending on their clinical needs.
“This keeps them close to the right health facility, ensures timely specialist care and referral, and reduces the delays that cost mothers’ lives,” he said.
Khader stressed the need to establish a dedicated Women’s Health Policy to address the changing healthcare needs of women, including those arising from changing lifestyles and hormonal health.
“We will also appoint a dedicated Deputy Director to focus on women’s health,” he said, adding that Karnataka would become the first state in the country to establish a dedicated Women’s Health Policy.
(PTI News)
