Chronic Hunger and the Status of Women in India
Females receive less health care than males. Many women die in childbirth of easily prevented complications. Working conditions and environmental pollution further impairs women's health...This article is listed on blog
www.womenidentity.blogspot.com, do visit the same for further reading..
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Letter to the Chief Minister
Column in newspaper
by Anil Gulati
'Our family is not listed in below the poverty line list, they say we will have to pay, please help' wrote a needy person from Satna in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in central part of India to the Chief Minister of the state. 'My village has a health centre but it remains closed and we have to suffer' wrote another women from a village in the state. These are letters written directly by individuals or some times by groups of individuals and addressed to the Chief Minister, the highest political head of the state. It is like exercising their democratic right to approach the higher authorities with demand and appeal for justice.
Though they are written directly to the Chief Minister of the Madhya Pradesh but are not routed through his offices and normal channels of bureaucracy rather are written to the 'Editors' of the newspapers. The reason is simple.
In the state of Madhya Pradesh two Hindi newspapers namely Dainik Jagran and Raj Express offer a unique opportunity to their readers or people of the state. They have an additional column on their edit page which is titled as Letter to The Chief Minister. They call it by different names: one calls it 'Letter to Mr. Chief Minister or lately they have named it as 'Yes Chief Minister' and other one says 'Paati Mukhayamantri ke naam'. One used photograph of the Chief Minister at the head of the column while another uses his caricature or sometimes these go without photograph.
Both offer an opportunity for people voice to be heard. You can write directly to the Chief Minister about your problem or an issue. Rather than coming to state capital and trying to meet him, this is an alternative way to approach him - by writing to these newspapers for covering an issue in their column.
If one looks at kind of the letters which appear in print, they are diverse in nature. I am not sure how many are received by them and how many are published? But if one analyzes them a few inferences can be drawn. The issues they raise are diverse, letters are normally written by individuals or sometimes by groups of individuals, and they come from various parts of the state, including interiors villages of the state. At present this is a feature which appears twice or thrice a week or whenever they receive a letter.
If one does a dip stick assessment of the content it reveals that issues of education, problems of state government employees, salaries, unavailability of water, electricity, roads, non accessibility of schemes initiated by the state, maternal deaths, the failure and weaknesses of the health system, and the issue of eve teasing appear more frequently and now transfers, corruption cases are also being received and published. Perhaps these are issues which impact people directly. Regarding education, issues such as lack of building, teacher absenteeism, and vacant positions do come up quite often in these letters. One does not know many of them are being responded to.
One of the roles of media is to provide an opportunity for voices of the communities to be heard, and giving vent to the opinions and views of people. Many possible options are available; letters to editor is one of them. One can use it to raise an issue which was in media or express your opinion on the story, or even to highlight issues which may have got missed in regular reporting.
But when you feel strongly about an issue or have an unresolved problem, you may feel the need to draw the attention of the Chief Minister, who is supposed to be the highest in the rank of the elected representatives. This is one such opportunity to do so. There is some indication that people find this way as an easier way to reach eyes of the Chief Minster. The Department of Public Relations which does media tracking for the state does track many of them and the same is evident from their website, wherein they scan and display the press cuttings tracked by them, indicating that at least some people get a bit of say in the system, with the help of media. May be this needs to increase and others need to catch on...
IANS News of Jan 22, 2007
by Anil Gulati
'Our family is not listed in below the poverty line list, they say we will have to pay, please help' wrote a needy person from Satna in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in central part of India to the Chief Minister of the state. 'My village has a health centre but it remains closed and we have to suffer' wrote another women from a village in the state. These are letters written directly by individuals or some times by groups of individuals and addressed to the Chief Minister, the highest political head of the state. It is like exercising their democratic right to approach the higher authorities with demand and appeal for justice.
Though they are written directly to the Chief Minister of the Madhya Pradesh but are not routed through his offices and normal channels of bureaucracy rather are written to the 'Editors' of the newspapers. The reason is simple.
In the state of Madhya Pradesh two Hindi newspapers namely Dainik Jagran and Raj Express offer a unique opportunity to their readers or people of the state. They have an additional column on their edit page which is titled as Letter to The Chief Minister. They call it by different names: one calls it 'Letter to Mr. Chief Minister or lately they have named it as 'Yes Chief Minister' and other one says 'Paati Mukhayamantri ke naam'. One used photograph of the Chief Minister at the head of the column while another uses his caricature or sometimes these go without photograph.
Both offer an opportunity for people voice to be heard. You can write directly to the Chief Minister about your problem or an issue. Rather than coming to state capital and trying to meet him, this is an alternative way to approach him - by writing to these newspapers for covering an issue in their column.
If one looks at kind of the letters which appear in print, they are diverse in nature. I am not sure how many are received by them and how many are published? But if one analyzes them a few inferences can be drawn. The issues they raise are diverse, letters are normally written by individuals or sometimes by groups of individuals, and they come from various parts of the state, including interiors villages of the state. At present this is a feature which appears twice or thrice a week or whenever they receive a letter.
If one does a dip stick assessment of the content it reveals that issues of education, problems of state government employees, salaries, unavailability of water, electricity, roads, non accessibility of schemes initiated by the state, maternal deaths, the failure and weaknesses of the health system, and the issue of eve teasing appear more frequently and now transfers, corruption cases are also being received and published. Perhaps these are issues which impact people directly. Regarding education, issues such as lack of building, teacher absenteeism, and vacant positions do come up quite often in these letters. One does not know many of them are being responded to.
One of the roles of media is to provide an opportunity for voices of the communities to be heard, and giving vent to the opinions and views of people. Many possible options are available; letters to editor is one of them. One can use it to raise an issue which was in media or express your opinion on the story, or even to highlight issues which may have got missed in regular reporting.
But when you feel strongly about an issue or have an unresolved problem, you may feel the need to draw the attention of the Chief Minister, who is supposed to be the highest in the rank of the elected representatives. This is one such opportunity to do so. There is some indication that people find this way as an easier way to reach eyes of the Chief Minster. The Department of Public Relations which does media tracking for the state does track many of them and the same is evident from their website, wherein they scan and display the press cuttings tracked by them, indicating that at least some people get a bit of say in the system, with the help of media. May be this needs to increase and others need to catch on...
IANS News of Jan 22, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
No barat for last twenty years !
Agencies
Katrol, (Bhind), Jan 25: It is a scene more heart-rending than the Nithari visuals when a mother is compelled to murder her female infant by placing a charpoy's leg on the child's neck.
This is the brutal method adopted for several decades in hundreds of villages in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind, Morena and a few neighbouring districts where the desire for male offspring is simply overwhelming.
Nithari has only two known accused, but the hundreds of offenders in these districts are parents themselves even as the sonography machine has assumed a satanic role and female foeticide is a thriving business.
During a just-concluded tour organised by the Press Information Bureau, a team of journalists learnt that such crime--that beats even medieval-era cruelty--has assumed the dimensions of a social evil and as a direct consequence the gender balance in Morena and Bhind has taken a body blow.
In some villages of Morena, there are as few as 400 to 700 females for every 1,000 males. No 'barat' (bridegroom's procession) has entered a few villages for 20 years.
The political system and administrative machinery have their own perception of this burning problem. Careful about their votebanks, political leaders fight shy of saying or doing anything against the menace while the officialdom hesitates to take any open initiative as it considers the mass slaughter a ''social'' issue.
While admitting the grave nature of the killings, Morena's District Collector Akash Tripathi says, ''an April-December 2006 survey conducted in the district painted a startling picture about the gender balance in some blocks. If conditions do not improve, girls will be on the brink of extinction in a few villages.''
The bureaucrat quotes the 2001 Census figures that clearly reveal a population increase but the district's gender balance is declining. It is 822:1,000 as compared to the state's 920:1,000 and the national ratio 933:1,000.
''At the initiative of Chambal's Divisional Commissioner Ajit Kesri, a meeting recently worked out a multipronged strategy to stamp out the evil in Morena, Bhind, Sheopur and Shivpuri districts.
Besides a key role by voluntary organisations, assistance will be sought from religious leaders as 'Bhagwat Katha' and other religious events are conducted round the year in Morena,'' Mr Tripathi adds.
At these events, men of religion would raise their voices against female foeticide and infanticide. Ms Rajkumari Sharma, who is associated with the voluntary organisation 'Sambhav' that is toiling in Bhind's Gurikha village panchayat and surrounding villages, laments that--despite all the effort--the picture has not brightened.
''I know of a family where six female infants were murdered one after the other,'' she reveals while her eyes reveal sorrow.
In Chambal region's rural areas, such infanticide is openly admitted. ''At a village in Bhind district, a fearful mother braved post-delivery weakness and other complications to hide in a hayloft, without food and water, for two days along with her infant daughter,'' reveals Ms Sharma.
The woman's father and brother reached the place and assured her in-laws that they would bear the expense of the daughter's upbringing and marriage. The mother-daughter duo emerged from the hayloft but the infant was slain just a few hours later. Chambal region's Morena and Bhind districts are famed for mustard cultivation and Morena is known as the ''mustard capital'' of Madhya Pradesh but ironically, the prosperity ensured by such cultivation has further fuelled gender imbalance and the craving for male offspring.
Sociologists believe that it has become the region's undeclared tradition to have more boys for maintaining social standing in the face of the dowry evil.
''Sonography kits, doctors and technicians access remote villages in vehicles. If a male foetus is detected, they say 'gulab ka phool' (a rose is blooming) or 'thali bajao' (celebrate). The number of sonography centres in Morena is one-and-a-half times the number of nursing homes,'' says Mr Devendra of the voluntary organisation Dharti that is battling female foeticide in Morena for decades. In Bhind district's Katrol village, this correspondent was stunned when a nine-year-old boy divulged that, soon after his sister was born, his father stuffed tobacco into her mouth and then strangled her.
After a girl is killed, the chant of ''Lali ladki tu ja aur lala ladka ko le aa (go away girl and let a boy come instead) seems to tell a brutal story in a nutshell.
Katrol, (Bhind), Jan 25: It is a scene more heart-rending than the Nithari visuals when a mother is compelled to murder her female infant by placing a charpoy's leg on the child's neck.
This is the brutal method adopted for several decades in hundreds of villages in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind, Morena and a few neighbouring districts where the desire for male offspring is simply overwhelming.
Nithari has only two known accused, but the hundreds of offenders in these districts are parents themselves even as the sonography machine has assumed a satanic role and female foeticide is a thriving business.
During a just-concluded tour organised by the Press Information Bureau, a team of journalists learnt that such crime--that beats even medieval-era cruelty--has assumed the dimensions of a social evil and as a direct consequence the gender balance in Morena and Bhind has taken a body blow.
In some villages of Morena, there are as few as 400 to 700 females for every 1,000 males. No 'barat' (bridegroom's procession) has entered a few villages for 20 years.
The political system and administrative machinery have their own perception of this burning problem. Careful about their votebanks, political leaders fight shy of saying or doing anything against the menace while the officialdom hesitates to take any open initiative as it considers the mass slaughter a ''social'' issue.
While admitting the grave nature of the killings, Morena's District Collector Akash Tripathi says, ''an April-December 2006 survey conducted in the district painted a startling picture about the gender balance in some blocks. If conditions do not improve, girls will be on the brink of extinction in a few villages.''
The bureaucrat quotes the 2001 Census figures that clearly reveal a population increase but the district's gender balance is declining. It is 822:1,000 as compared to the state's 920:1,000 and the national ratio 933:1,000.
''At the initiative of Chambal's Divisional Commissioner Ajit Kesri, a meeting recently worked out a multipronged strategy to stamp out the evil in Morena, Bhind, Sheopur and Shivpuri districts.
Besides a key role by voluntary organisations, assistance will be sought from religious leaders as 'Bhagwat Katha' and other religious events are conducted round the year in Morena,'' Mr Tripathi adds.
At these events, men of religion would raise their voices against female foeticide and infanticide. Ms Rajkumari Sharma, who is associated with the voluntary organisation 'Sambhav' that is toiling in Bhind's Gurikha village panchayat and surrounding villages, laments that--despite all the effort--the picture has not brightened.
''I know of a family where six female infants were murdered one after the other,'' she reveals while her eyes reveal sorrow.
In Chambal region's rural areas, such infanticide is openly admitted. ''At a village in Bhind district, a fearful mother braved post-delivery weakness and other complications to hide in a hayloft, without food and water, for two days along with her infant daughter,'' reveals Ms Sharma.
The woman's father and brother reached the place and assured her in-laws that they would bear the expense of the daughter's upbringing and marriage. The mother-daughter duo emerged from the hayloft but the infant was slain just a few hours later. Chambal region's Morena and Bhind districts are famed for mustard cultivation and Morena is known as the ''mustard capital'' of Madhya Pradesh but ironically, the prosperity ensured by such cultivation has further fuelled gender imbalance and the craving for male offspring.
Sociologists believe that it has become the region's undeclared tradition to have more boys for maintaining social standing in the face of the dowry evil.
''Sonography kits, doctors and technicians access remote villages in vehicles. If a male foetus is detected, they say 'gulab ka phool' (a rose is blooming) or 'thali bajao' (celebrate). The number of sonography centres in Morena is one-and-a-half times the number of nursing homes,'' says Mr Devendra of the voluntary organisation Dharti that is battling female foeticide in Morena for decades. In Bhind district's Katrol village, this correspondent was stunned when a nine-year-old boy divulged that, soon after his sister was born, his father stuffed tobacco into her mouth and then strangled her.
After a girl is killed, the chant of ''Lali ladki tu ja aur lala ladka ko le aa (go away girl and let a boy come instead) seems to tell a brutal story in a nutshell.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Child dies due to lack of medical treatment in district hospital Sheopur
Sunita Bai, a Harjan woman of Banikhera village in Sheopur district in State of Madhya Pradesh lost her child immediately after birth. Her husband and other community members say that hospital has inadequate facilities and treatment was not given to the child and the mother after delivery. Both Sunita Bai and her child had developed some complications but were denied adequate medical facilities at the district hospital. She lost her child. Her husband has given a written complaint to the Collector. Media reports challenge the state institutional delivery mantra of the state if state does not have the available infrastructure to save lives of women and children.
Adapted from media report published in Nai Dunia dated January 16, 2007
Adapted from media report published in Nai Dunia dated January 16, 2007
All expectant mothers in Govt hospitals to get Janani Suraksha Yojna benefits
The Pioneer, January 20, Bhopal
All expectant mothers getting admission for deliveries in State Government hospitals general wards would get the benefit of the Janani Suraksha Yojna. The provision was made as per the directives of the Union Government. Also, increase has been made in the amount given to the beneficiaries in order to encourage institutional deliveries. The expectant mothers of the rural areas will now get Rs 1,400 in place of Rs 700. Similarly Rs 1,000 will be paid to the expectant mothers in the urban areas. Moreover, an amount of Rs 600 and Rs 200 is being paid to the person encouraging institutional deliveries of rural and urban area respectively.
The Janani suraksha yojna was implemented in the State on August 15, 2005. A total of 2,64,656 women has been benefited under the scheme so far. It has been noticed that after the amendment in the scheme to encourage institutional deliveries, the number of the women getting benefited is increasing day by day. It may be mentioned that in order to extend benefit of the scheme to the maximum women, many rules have been relaxed including exemption from the age limit as well as children limit.
All expectant mothers getting admission for deliveries in State Government hospitals general wards would get the benefit of the Janani Suraksha Yojna. The provision was made as per the directives of the Union Government. Also, increase has been made in the amount given to the beneficiaries in order to encourage institutional deliveries. The expectant mothers of the rural areas will now get Rs 1,400 in place of Rs 700. Similarly Rs 1,000 will be paid to the expectant mothers in the urban areas. Moreover, an amount of Rs 600 and Rs 200 is being paid to the person encouraging institutional deliveries of rural and urban area respectively.
The Janani suraksha yojna was implemented in the State on August 15, 2005. A total of 2,64,656 women has been benefited under the scheme so far. It has been noticed that after the amendment in the scheme to encourage institutional deliveries, the number of the women getting benefited is increasing day by day. It may be mentioned that in order to extend benefit of the scheme to the maximum women, many rules have been relaxed including exemption from the age limit as well as children limit.
False claims under JSY coming in the state capital
Janani Suraksha Yojana was started in the state to promote institutional delivery wherein the pregnant women from rural areas gets Rs 1400.00 as an incentive while motivators get Rs 600.00 as an incentive. State Capital Jai Prakash Hospital had noticed cases of fals claims by motivators, who actually are not even living in the same area. These are WCD/ health workers. They normally come for claim after the women has been discharged with the certificate. Dr D.K. Verma Medical Superintendent while speaking to media accepted that such cases had come in but he added they are now getting lesser and we normally send them back.
Hindi story in Raj Express, January 19, 2007
Hindi story in Raj Express, January 19, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Promoting safemotherhood
Rally by Church of North India volunteers to create awareness on the issue of maternal mortality and promote safe motherhood in villages of Mandleswar, Madhya Pradesh
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Mobile health scheme to cover another 80 blocks
Staff Reporter Bhopal
Mobile health clinics launched this year to provide medical facilities in far flung tribal areas in Madhya Pradesh have so far treated 2.53 lakh patients. After considering the success of the clinics, the State Government is extending the mobile health clinic scheme in another 80 blocks of the State. The Health Department has invited tenders for mobile health clinics.
Besides medical checkup, treatment facilities, medicines free of cost were provided to the beneficiaries. As many 150 patients are undergoing medical check up daily under the Deendayal Mobile Health Clinic Scheme.
At present, Mobile Health Clinics facility is being provided in eleven tribal blocks of the State. These blocks include Bhimpur (Betul), Karahal (Sheopur), Mawai (Mandla), Sondwa (Jhabua), Bajag (Dindori), Budhar (Shahdol), Pushprajgarh (Anuppur), Virsa (Balaghat), Pali (Umariya), Kundam (Jabalpur) and Kusumi (Sidhi). Sofar, 8 thousand 500 expectent mothers have been benefited under the scheme in these blocks.
Mobile health clinics launched this year to provide medical facilities in far flung tribal areas in Madhya Pradesh have so far treated 2.53 lakh patients. After considering the success of the clinics, the State Government is extending the mobile health clinic scheme in another 80 blocks of the State. The Health Department has invited tenders for mobile health clinics.
Besides medical checkup, treatment facilities, medicines free of cost were provided to the beneficiaries. As many 150 patients are undergoing medical check up daily under the Deendayal Mobile Health Clinic Scheme.
At present, Mobile Health Clinics facility is being provided in eleven tribal blocks of the State. These blocks include Bhimpur (Betul), Karahal (Sheopur), Mawai (Mandla), Sondwa (Jhabua), Bajag (Dindori), Budhar (Shahdol), Pushprajgarh (Anuppur), Virsa (Balaghat), Pali (Umariya), Kundam (Jabalpur) and Kusumi (Sidhi). Sofar, 8 thousand 500 expectent mothers have been benefited under the scheme in these blocks.
Rusted equipments in labour room
Photograph of rusted equipments in district hospital of Betul (Madhya Pradesh) in a room where deliveries are done....Saturday, January 13, 2007
Shortage of equipments in labour room in Sultania hospital in state capital
By Rani Sharma. Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal, January 13, 2007
Sultania ladies hospital was provided with funds to the tune of Rupees fifty lakhs to provide for new fully equipped labour room. Though the new room has been constructed but lacks basic equipments and is non functional. Under RCH II scheme new model labour rooms was sanctioned in Aug 2005 for the five medical colleges and funds had been allocated to the tune of crores (app 2.5 crores). But still labour room at the hospital in the state capital is not functioning.
The new labour room needs to have 2 ventilators, 5 cardiac monitor, 2 ECG machines, 1 defibrillator, pulse oxymeter and delivery table. Sulatnia hospital does not have neo –natalogy care unit. The children in case of need are referred to Kamla Nehru Hospital. M.M. Upadhyaya Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare of Government of Madhya Pradesh, when contacted said that he was not aware of the situation said he will try and see to to that it could be started immediately.
(Adpated from hindi news in Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal, January 13, 2007)
Sultania ladies hospital was provided with funds to the tune of Rupees fifty lakhs to provide for new fully equipped labour room. Though the new room has been constructed but lacks basic equipments and is non functional. Under RCH II scheme new model labour rooms was sanctioned in Aug 2005 for the five medical colleges and funds had been allocated to the tune of crores (app 2.5 crores). But still labour room at the hospital in the state capital is not functioning.
The new labour room needs to have 2 ventilators, 5 cardiac monitor, 2 ECG machines, 1 defibrillator, pulse oxymeter and delivery table. Sulatnia hospital does not have neo –natalogy care unit. The children in case of need are referred to Kamla Nehru Hospital. M.M. Upadhyaya Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare of Government of Madhya Pradesh, when contacted said that he was not aware of the situation said he will try and see to to that it could be started immediately.
(Adpated from hindi news in Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal, January 13, 2007)
Thursday, January 11, 2007
where are the doctors to implement state schemes
Dainik Jagran, Bhopal, January 12, 2007
State has various schemes to promote safe motherhood but to implement thoose, state suffers with shortage of medical doctors. In order to compensate the same state's health department had announced a scheme of ‘contract doctors’ wherein they are paid Rupees eighteen thousand as monthly salary and Rupees ten thousand as an incentive. But still health department is unable to recruit many.
Condition at the primary health centres and community health centres near the state capital is pathetic, what does one say about health centers, in far flung areas of the state which is widely spread. Media report in Dainik Jagran quotes example of community health centre Berasia wherein medical doctor was recruited more than a year back but with hardly any facility medical doctor could not do much and was on leave for most of the period, finally was removed. Issues like no operation centre, poor infrastructure, impacts heavily on the state run schemes.
adapted from hindi news in dainik jagran, bhopal edition, page 2
State has various schemes to promote safe motherhood but to implement thoose, state suffers with shortage of medical doctors. In order to compensate the same state's health department had announced a scheme of ‘contract doctors’ wherein they are paid Rupees eighteen thousand as monthly salary and Rupees ten thousand as an incentive. But still health department is unable to recruit many.
Condition at the primary health centres and community health centres near the state capital is pathetic, what does one say about health centers, in far flung areas of the state which is widely spread. Media report in Dainik Jagran quotes example of community health centre Berasia wherein medical doctor was recruited more than a year back but with hardly any facility medical doctor could not do much and was on leave for most of the period, finally was removed. Issues like no operation centre, poor infrastructure, impacts heavily on the state run schemes.
adapted from hindi news in dainik jagran, bhopal edition, page 2
90% health centres have no labour room
Vikram Jethwani Bhopal
It may sound shocking but the residents of Madhya Pradesh have to stomach the hard fact that 90 per cent community health centres (CHCs) of the State are not equipped with basic infrastructure to deliver a child.
And thus, the State maintains its dubious distinction of having the highest Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) in the country, with death of a pregnant woman every 40 minutes.
The fact is supported by a study undertaken by Reproductive and Child Healthcare (RCH) programme between 1997 and 2004. As per the study, meagrely 31 primary health centres (PHC) have labour rooms while the State has a total of 285 CHCs across 48 districts.
The gravity of the situation could be gauged by the fact that there does not exists the basic need of a labour room, while according to the norms laid down for institutional delivery there should be a well-equipped 5-bed labour room with availability of oxygen cylinder, OT table, operation kit and a power generator. The condition in the rural areas is worse. Governmental healthcare facilities are not available in most of the areas, health department sources said. President of Madhya Pradesh State Health Workers Association LN Sharma, who supervises health facilities in the rural areas, said, "The ground realities are pathetic and we need a holistic approach to address this issue directly." Ironically, the condition at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) could be perceived a bit better as about 196 PHCs from the total of 1,152 such centres have labour rooms. State Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi and Health Commissioner Rajesh Rajora could not be contacted.
However, chief medical and health officer of Bhopal BS Ohri told The Pioneer, "Conditions at Bhopal district have improved and both CHCs of Bhopal at Berasia and Gandhi Nagar are well-equipped. The concept of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal care unit (CMOCs) also has been doing well and Bhopal recorded a rise of 3,497 institutional delivery to the total number of 17,086 in year 2006, from 13,589 of year 2005.
Earlier, The Pioneer on January 10 had published a report, on eight pregnant women namely Newabai (28), Padwawati (22) of Lakhanwara, Radhabai (25) of Kuthla, Rinki Kewat (22) of Badari, Guddibai, Raddhobai, Meena and Shashi of Badwara of Ashok Nagar and Katni districts respectively, who had to lost their lives in absence of healthcare facilities.
It may sound shocking but the residents of Madhya Pradesh have to stomach the hard fact that 90 per cent community health centres (CHCs) of the State are not equipped with basic infrastructure to deliver a child.
And thus, the State maintains its dubious distinction of having the highest Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) in the country, with death of a pregnant woman every 40 minutes.
The fact is supported by a study undertaken by Reproductive and Child Healthcare (RCH) programme between 1997 and 2004. As per the study, meagrely 31 primary health centres (PHC) have labour rooms while the State has a total of 285 CHCs across 48 districts.
The gravity of the situation could be gauged by the fact that there does not exists the basic need of a labour room, while according to the norms laid down for institutional delivery there should be a well-equipped 5-bed labour room with availability of oxygen cylinder, OT table, operation kit and a power generator. The condition in the rural areas is worse. Governmental healthcare facilities are not available in most of the areas, health department sources said. President of Madhya Pradesh State Health Workers Association LN Sharma, who supervises health facilities in the rural areas, said, "The ground realities are pathetic and we need a holistic approach to address this issue directly." Ironically, the condition at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) could be perceived a bit better as about 196 PHCs from the total of 1,152 such centres have labour rooms. State Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi and Health Commissioner Rajesh Rajora could not be contacted.
However, chief medical and health officer of Bhopal BS Ohri told The Pioneer, "Conditions at Bhopal district have improved and both CHCs of Bhopal at Berasia and Gandhi Nagar are well-equipped. The concept of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal care unit (CMOCs) also has been doing well and Bhopal recorded a rise of 3,497 institutional delivery to the total number of 17,086 in year 2006, from 13,589 of year 2005.
Earlier, The Pioneer on January 10 had published a report, on eight pregnant women namely Newabai (28), Padwawati (22) of Lakhanwara, Radhabai (25) of Kuthla, Rinki Kewat (22) of Badari, Guddibai, Raddhobai, Meena and Shashi of Badwara of Ashok Nagar and Katni districts respectively, who had to lost their lives in absence of healthcare facilities.
Health Centre slams doors on Saharias
HT CorrespondentGwalior, January 10, 2007
THE DOORS of Chanderi Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ashok Nagar district have been allegedly closed on the Saharia tribals of Nidanpur village. Reason? The tribals had dared to complain against the block medical officer.
The Saharias of Nidanpur, 20 km from Chanderi block, had, on December 2 last, alleged that the death of a woman Neba Bai was caused by the negligence of BMO Dr R P Sharma and other staff.
However, Dr Sharma has denied the allegation and said it was his professional duty to treat patients. About charges regarding negligence, he said the police were investigating the case and the truth would come out soon. According to Neba Bai’s husband Kapoora, she was admitted to Chanderi CHC on November 17 in an advanced stage of pregnancy. She was administered glucose intravenous. However, after sometime, when the bottle emptied, blood started entering the bottle from Neba Bai and no hospital staff was on hand to attend to her. The attendant of another patient removed the needle from the woman’s wrist to stop the bleeding. But she died the next day. Later, Kapoora, with the help of village Sarpanch and local non-governmental organisations, lodged a complaint with Police.
The postmortem report termed the death as due to ‘natural’ causes. The villagers allege that after their complaint, the doctors have been refusing to treat Saharia patients of Nidanpur on one pretext or the other, which resulted in the death of another woman Phool Kunwar, wife of Udham Singh, on December 27. Phool Kunwar was also pregnant and was taken to Chanderi CHC on December 26 from where she was referred to Ashok Nagar hospital.
Village Sarpanch Saindpal Singh Bundela said that Saharia patients of village were not treated in the health centre. Social workers Rajesh Kumar and Asma Parveen said that auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) did not attend to Phool Kunwar during pregnancy. They also accused Dr Sharma of refusing to take in patients of Nidanpur village and misbehaving with social workers. The villagers have complained in this connection to the district Collector besides sending a complaint to the Chief Minister by fax.
THE DOORS of Chanderi Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ashok Nagar district have been allegedly closed on the Saharia tribals of Nidanpur village. Reason? The tribals had dared to complain against the block medical officer.
The Saharias of Nidanpur, 20 km from Chanderi block, had, on December 2 last, alleged that the death of a woman Neba Bai was caused by the negligence of BMO Dr R P Sharma and other staff.
However, Dr Sharma has denied the allegation and said it was his professional duty to treat patients. About charges regarding negligence, he said the police were investigating the case and the truth would come out soon. According to Neba Bai’s husband Kapoora, she was admitted to Chanderi CHC on November 17 in an advanced stage of pregnancy. She was administered glucose intravenous. However, after sometime, when the bottle emptied, blood started entering the bottle from Neba Bai and no hospital staff was on hand to attend to her. The attendant of another patient removed the needle from the woman’s wrist to stop the bleeding. But she died the next day. Later, Kapoora, with the help of village Sarpanch and local non-governmental organisations, lodged a complaint with Police.
The postmortem report termed the death as due to ‘natural’ causes. The villagers allege that after their complaint, the doctors have been refusing to treat Saharia patients of Nidanpur on one pretext or the other, which resulted in the death of another woman Phool Kunwar, wife of Udham Singh, on December 27. Phool Kunwar was also pregnant and was taken to Chanderi CHC on December 26 from where she was referred to Ashok Nagar hospital.
Village Sarpanch Saindpal Singh Bundela said that Saharia patients of village were not treated in the health centre. Social workers Rajesh Kumar and Asma Parveen said that auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) did not attend to Phool Kunwar during pregnancy. They also accused Dr Sharma of refusing to take in patients of Nidanpur village and misbehaving with social workers. The villagers have complained in this connection to the district Collector besides sending a complaint to the Chief Minister by fax.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Pregnant woman dies due to negligence
Pioneer, Jan 11, 2007
In a shivering incident, a pregnant woman lost her life in a Government hospital of Ashoknagar district due to absence of healthcare staff during emergency. Nevabai, a tribal resident of Chanderi block of the district, was admitted to the hospital under the Institutional Delivery Scheme of the State Government.
The doctor on duty after examining Nevabai directed the nurse to transfuse a bottle of blood to the lady. After a few minutes, Nevabai's condition worsened as the bottle passed air in her vein. The perturbed woman, in absence of any caretaker went unconscious and continued loosing blood till the nurse saw her at 5 pm, her husband Kapura told.
After severely loosing blood, Nevabai succumbed the next day at 6 pm. Non-Governmental sources informed they have witnessed as many as seven pregnant women lose their lives in the past 30 days at Katni district hospital due to the negligence of doctors and nurses.
Padwawati (22) of Lakhanwara, Radhabai (25) of Kuthla, Rinki Kewat (22) of Badari, Guddibai, Raddhobai, Meena and Shashi of Badwara of the district are few of the victims who instead of receiving benefits of institutional delivery had to lost their lives.
In a shivering incident, a pregnant woman lost her life in a Government hospital of Ashoknagar district due to absence of healthcare staff during emergency. Nevabai, a tribal resident of Chanderi block of the district, was admitted to the hospital under the Institutional Delivery Scheme of the State Government.
The doctor on duty after examining Nevabai directed the nurse to transfuse a bottle of blood to the lady. After a few minutes, Nevabai's condition worsened as the bottle passed air in her vein. The perturbed woman, in absence of any caretaker went unconscious and continued loosing blood till the nurse saw her at 5 pm, her husband Kapura told.
After severely loosing blood, Nevabai succumbed the next day at 6 pm. Non-Governmental sources informed they have witnessed as many as seven pregnant women lose their lives in the past 30 days at Katni district hospital due to the negligence of doctors and nurses.
Padwawati (22) of Lakhanwara, Radhabai (25) of Kuthla, Rinki Kewat (22) of Badari, Guddibai, Raddhobai, Meena and Shashi of Badwara of the district are few of the victims who instead of receiving benefits of institutional delivery had to lost their lives.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Madhya Pradesh lacks medical staff
Central Chronicle, Bhopal, January 9, 2007
The state government has launched number of health schemes on the trot with a view to reduce the high mortalities rates of women and child in Madhya Pradesh. But it did not get desired results due to many reasons.
The schemes are depend upon the ground level people who are entrusted to implement the same. Feedback of Vijay Raje Bima Yojna-in which Rs upto 2,400 are given to the beneficiaries of below poverty line for undergoing institutional deliveries-has been satisfactory to some extent but women of the remotest and those who have no BPL cards are being deprived of the schemes. Before going to start any health schemes, the state government should mull over infrastructure whether it is available or not at last unit of democracy set up.
The rural people depend on district hospitals but the unruly behaviors of staff members of the hospital add more to the misery of the patients. However, state government says that it is committed to improving health sector but seems to be failed, due to lack of adequate medical staff at tehsil and district level hospital. The women, who live to the adjacent of the town and district, have access to get hospital treatments while others perform their deliveries at home at high risk.
Sunil Kumar, Bhopal
The state government has launched number of health schemes on the trot with a view to reduce the high mortalities rates of women and child in Madhya Pradesh. But it did not get desired results due to many reasons.
The schemes are depend upon the ground level people who are entrusted to implement the same. Feedback of Vijay Raje Bima Yojna-in which Rs upto 2,400 are given to the beneficiaries of below poverty line for undergoing institutional deliveries-has been satisfactory to some extent but women of the remotest and those who have no BPL cards are being deprived of the schemes. Before going to start any health schemes, the state government should mull over infrastructure whether it is available or not at last unit of democracy set up.
The rural people depend on district hospitals but the unruly behaviors of staff members of the hospital add more to the misery of the patients. However, state government says that it is committed to improving health sector but seems to be failed, due to lack of adequate medical staff at tehsil and district level hospital. The women, who live to the adjacent of the town and district, have access to get hospital treatments while others perform their deliveries at home at high risk.
Sunil Kumar, Bhopal
Tribal still survive on food cooked from grass
Nai Dunia, Bhopal, jan 8, 2007
by Aarti Pandey
An op-ed in hindi vernacular Nai Dunai in Bhopal challenges political leadership and state’s claim of implementation of various schemes in the state of Madhya Pradesh for benefit of women and children. This op-ed speaks about village Taka in the district Tikamgarh of the state wherein tribal’s till today have to survive on chapattis cooked after grinding seeds of samai (grass seeds). It speaks of pathetic situation of tribal’s in the state. Though state has had many schemes for benefit of people but this op-ed challenges them .This includes state’s bal sanjvini scheme for combating malnutrition among children, national rural health management, national employment rural guarantee schemes. It relates the situation of women and children when hundreds of years ago Maharana Pratap went into hiding and had to eat chapattis cooked of grass and this is true in this century too.
Aarti is the media fellow of Makhanlal National University of Journalism, Bhopal.
(This is adapted shorter version in english of the full article in hindi.)
by Aarti Pandey
An op-ed in hindi vernacular Nai Dunai in Bhopal challenges political leadership and state’s claim of implementation of various schemes in the state of Madhya Pradesh for benefit of women and children. This op-ed speaks about village Taka in the district Tikamgarh of the state wherein tribal’s till today have to survive on chapattis cooked after grinding seeds of samai (grass seeds). It speaks of pathetic situation of tribal’s in the state. Though state has had many schemes for benefit of people but this op-ed challenges them .This includes state’s bal sanjvini scheme for combating malnutrition among children, national rural health management, national employment rural guarantee schemes. It relates the situation of women and children when hundreds of years ago Maharana Pratap went into hiding and had to eat chapattis cooked of grass and this is true in this century too.
Aarti is the media fellow of Makhanlal National University of Journalism, Bhopal.
(This is adapted shorter version in english of the full article in hindi.)
Saturday, January 06, 2007
55 % of women have never heard about HIV/AIDS in MP
Published at www.mpnewsonline.com
Bhopal, Jan 06: Only 45 percent of women are in the category of ‘ever married adults between 15- 49 years who had ever heard of HIV/AIDS in Madhya Pradesh. This fact came to light in the latest 2005-2006 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), released recently by Government of India. This is the third survey in the NFHS series of surveys and provides information on population, health and nutrition in India and each of its 29 states. This survey is based on a sample of households, which is representative at the national and state levels.
In further analysis of the data tells us that in urban and rural divide- 74 percent of women in urban areas of MP had heard about HIV/AIDS while the figures is juts 35 percent in rural areas. This means that in rural areas in Madhya Pradesh (which is almost 75 percent of the total population of MP) women have never heard of HIV/AIDS. In case of men the figure is 95 percent in urban areas while in rural areas it is 59 percent and the total awareness is just 68 percent.
Experts believe that women are more vulnerable to HIV /AIDS as compared to men which means the efforts need to be targeted to reach them more then men. They add that range of factors like poverty, lack of information and decision power and factors, which impact gender discrimination, make her more vulnerable. NFHS data reveals that young girls and women in reproductive age group are at high risk in the state.
An important point to be noted in these data is- this only talks of whether they have heard or not. The data does not tell us about habits. The key to prevention in HIV/AUDS as given by the communication experts is to transform the information into knowledge then into action, whereas here level of information is very low, not to mention of other aspects.
Madhya Pradesh AIDS Control Society Deputy Director Savita Thakur accepted that there is no discrimination between males and females while creating awareness among the people towards AIDS. “Generally, all the training programmes are common for males and females. Particularly for females, we are trying to seek help from self-help groups to educate women and a module for imparting training to Anganwadi workers are is also being planned,” he added.
Bhopal, Jan 06: Only 45 percent of women are in the category of ‘ever married adults between 15- 49 years who had ever heard of HIV/AIDS in Madhya Pradesh. This fact came to light in the latest 2005-2006 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), released recently by Government of India. This is the third survey in the NFHS series of surveys and provides information on population, health and nutrition in India and each of its 29 states. This survey is based on a sample of households, which is representative at the national and state levels.
In further analysis of the data tells us that in urban and rural divide- 74 percent of women in urban areas of MP had heard about HIV/AIDS while the figures is juts 35 percent in rural areas. This means that in rural areas in Madhya Pradesh (which is almost 75 percent of the total population of MP) women have never heard of HIV/AIDS. In case of men the figure is 95 percent in urban areas while in rural areas it is 59 percent and the total awareness is just 68 percent.
Experts believe that women are more vulnerable to HIV /AIDS as compared to men which means the efforts need to be targeted to reach them more then men. They add that range of factors like poverty, lack of information and decision power and factors, which impact gender discrimination, make her more vulnerable. NFHS data reveals that young girls and women in reproductive age group are at high risk in the state.
An important point to be noted in these data is- this only talks of whether they have heard or not. The data does not tell us about habits. The key to prevention in HIV/AUDS as given by the communication experts is to transform the information into knowledge then into action, whereas here level of information is very low, not to mention of other aspects.
Madhya Pradesh AIDS Control Society Deputy Director Savita Thakur accepted that there is no discrimination between males and females while creating awareness among the people towards AIDS. “Generally, all the training programmes are common for males and females. Particularly for females, we are trying to seek help from self-help groups to educate women and a module for imparting training to Anganwadi workers are is also being planned,” he added.
Friday, January 05, 2007
National health assembly begins from March 23
HT CorrespondentBhopal, January 5, 2007
THE JAN Swasthya Abhiyan will organise the second National Health Assembly in Bhopal from March 23-25, to discuss the impact of increasing privatisation in the health sector on the health scenario in the country. Informing this at a press conference here on Friday, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan’s Dr Amit Sen Gupta condemned the Union and State Governments of falling into traps of the private sector. “In the name of privatisation of health services, Governments are just shirking away from their basic responsibilities even as the health indicators in the country remain to be as bad as ever,’’ Dr Sen Gupta alleged.
He said the three-day assembly in March would mainly discuss the impact of globalisation in dismantling of the public health system in India. It would also discuss globalisation’s impact on people’s lives.
The assembly will also try to brainstorm on key concerns like the strengthening and reformation of the public health system, regulation of private sector, ensuring access to essential medicines and the need for women’s health for their rights, Dr Sen Gupta stated. Participants from all over India will be taking part in the assembly while foreign delegations – from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Latin American Countries and Africa – were also expected to arrive at the assembly, Dr Sen Gupta stated.
Assembly’s organising chairman Sharad Chandra Behar pointed out that the right to health was still not being considered as a fundamental right in India. “Even the right to education has been added as a fundamental right but no one is concerned to do the same about the right to health,’’ Behar lamented. Abhiyan’s Dr Vandana Prasad criticised the poor implementation of health services in the country and the State. She said National Rural Health Mission, Janani Suraksha Yojana and similar schemes were not being carried out effectively. “The child mortality rate in India still remains to be of great concern, as pointed out by the Third National Family Health Survey,’’ she stated.
MP Jan Swasthya Abhiyan coordinator Dr Ajay Khare, MP Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti executive president Asha Mishra and other office-bearers were also present.
THE JAN Swasthya Abhiyan will organise the second National Health Assembly in Bhopal from March 23-25, to discuss the impact of increasing privatisation in the health sector on the health scenario in the country. Informing this at a press conference here on Friday, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan’s Dr Amit Sen Gupta condemned the Union and State Governments of falling into traps of the private sector. “In the name of privatisation of health services, Governments are just shirking away from their basic responsibilities even as the health indicators in the country remain to be as bad as ever,’’ Dr Sen Gupta alleged.
He said the three-day assembly in March would mainly discuss the impact of globalisation in dismantling of the public health system in India. It would also discuss globalisation’s impact on people’s lives.
The assembly will also try to brainstorm on key concerns like the strengthening and reformation of the public health system, regulation of private sector, ensuring access to essential medicines and the need for women’s health for their rights, Dr Sen Gupta stated. Participants from all over India will be taking part in the assembly while foreign delegations – from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Latin American Countries and Africa – were also expected to arrive at the assembly, Dr Sen Gupta stated.
Assembly’s organising chairman Sharad Chandra Behar pointed out that the right to health was still not being considered as a fundamental right in India. “Even the right to education has been added as a fundamental right but no one is concerned to do the same about the right to health,’’ Behar lamented. Abhiyan’s Dr Vandana Prasad criticised the poor implementation of health services in the country and the State. She said National Rural Health Mission, Janani Suraksha Yojana and similar schemes were not being carried out effectively. “The child mortality rate in India still remains to be of great concern, as pointed out by the Third National Family Health Survey,’’ she stated.
MP Jan Swasthya Abhiyan coordinator Dr Ajay Khare, MP Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti executive president Asha Mishra and other office-bearers were also present.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
No end to Rajgarh residents' health problems
Published in The Pioneer , Bhopal, Jan 4, 2006
Thirty-five-year-old Kali Bai has to walk through six kms to get nearest primary healthcentre for every health problem she or her family faces. The situation of other residents of Ataikheda village is no better.
Though the Madhya Pradesh Government has claimed that efforts are being made to provide better health facilities in rural areas, the villagers find no end to their problems.
There are over 50 villages in Rajgarh district, which are deprived of medical facilities. The Health department in view of providing facility of institutionalised delivery restricted the in-house deliveries and midwifery system was abolished in the State.
There are 229 community healthcentres (CHCs), 1,194 primary healthcentres (PHCs) and 8,835 secondary healthcentres (SHCs) in the State. Particularly in Rajgarh district, there are only four CHCs, 31 CHCs and 166 SHCs.
Shivlal of Ataikheda village said that on an average in every four-five months, only one delivery takes place in the village. Instead of taking the pregnant woman to six-km away healthcentre, services of experienced old women are sought. "Taking pregnant woman on the kachcha road is quite difficult and there have been instances of miscarriage in the past," he added. He informed that only one non-medical assistant (NMA) is scheduled to visit the village once in a week.
Similar are the woes of Rasulpura village residents. This village is nine kms from the main road and 24 kms from Pachore tehsil. There have been instances of snake and scorpio bites in the villages, but the victims never received any medical facility. JP Sharma, a project assistant with the District Poverty Initiative Programme (DPIP) in the villages of Rajgarh district, felt that the project officials are considering to providing medical training to the common interest groups (CIGs) of the villages so that they could take care of their health problems.
The inferences of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) are revealing. A total of 60 per cent of children under three are malnourished, 27 women die everyday due to complication within pregnancy or 42 days after pregnancy and 79 children die out of 1,000 born before their first birthday. Similarly, 60 per cent of children are not fully immunised and 40 per cent women are malnourished.
Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi while talking to The Pioneer accepted that there is shortage of medical experts in far-flung villages, but medical experts would soon be deployed in the villages. The State Government has recently recruited MBBS doctors on contract basis for posting in rural areas, he added.
Thirty-five-year-old Kali Bai has to walk through six kms to get nearest primary healthcentre for every health problem she or her family faces. The situation of other residents of Ataikheda village is no better.
Though the Madhya Pradesh Government has claimed that efforts are being made to provide better health facilities in rural areas, the villagers find no end to their problems.
There are over 50 villages in Rajgarh district, which are deprived of medical facilities. The Health department in view of providing facility of institutionalised delivery restricted the in-house deliveries and midwifery system was abolished in the State.
There are 229 community healthcentres (CHCs), 1,194 primary healthcentres (PHCs) and 8,835 secondary healthcentres (SHCs) in the State. Particularly in Rajgarh district, there are only four CHCs, 31 CHCs and 166 SHCs.
Shivlal of Ataikheda village said that on an average in every four-five months, only one delivery takes place in the village. Instead of taking the pregnant woman to six-km away healthcentre, services of experienced old women are sought. "Taking pregnant woman on the kachcha road is quite difficult and there have been instances of miscarriage in the past," he added. He informed that only one non-medical assistant (NMA) is scheduled to visit the village once in a week.
Similar are the woes of Rasulpura village residents. This village is nine kms from the main road and 24 kms from Pachore tehsil. There have been instances of snake and scorpio bites in the villages, but the victims never received any medical facility. JP Sharma, a project assistant with the District Poverty Initiative Programme (DPIP) in the villages of Rajgarh district, felt that the project officials are considering to providing medical training to the common interest groups (CIGs) of the villages so that they could take care of their health problems.
The inferences of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) are revealing. A total of 60 per cent of children under three are malnourished, 27 women die everyday due to complication within pregnancy or 42 days after pregnancy and 79 children die out of 1,000 born before their first birthday. Similarly, 60 per cent of children are not fully immunised and 40 per cent women are malnourished.
Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi while talking to The Pioneer accepted that there is shortage of medical experts in far-flung villages, but medical experts would soon be deployed in the villages. The State Government has recently recruited MBBS doctors on contract basis for posting in rural areas, he added.
Women of Satna district ask for their rights
Women ask for their rights
Thousands of women participated in the recent Jan Sunwai held at District Satna by Samiratan Society, a partner of Madhya Pradesh Samaj Sewa Sanstha - a network of civil society organisations in the state working on the issue of maternal mortality. 397 cases were registered in the Sunwai. The issues which were taken up by the women ranged from maternal health, to violence against women and old age pension.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Connecting to Reproductive Rights Blog
News Round Up (Jan. 1) Happy New Year!
Our blog was mentioned on the Reporductive Rights blog and here is the article where it gets linked
In the past few days I've found a whole lot of stories that I don't want clogging my bookmarks. Plus, my mac sucks. Just thought I would throw that out there.Excerpts from Reproductive Rights blog News Round Up (Jan. 1)- Happy New Year! In the past few days I've found a whole lot of stories that I don't want clogging my bookmarks. Plus, my mac sucks. Just thought I would throw that out there.
The American College of OBGYNs (great website, btw) is now recommending that ALL women be offered a screening test for Down's Syndrome. This less invasive test (less invasive than an amniocentises) is called a nuchal translucency test, which measures the fetus' neck width. The test can be done earlier in the pregnancy, which gives women options to terminate, or to prepare for the baby earlier.
I got an email giving me a heads up about a campaign to reduce maternal mortality in India. One of the things that struck me when I was in India was how little autonomy women had regarding their own health care. We had 300 reported cases of bride burnings the summer I worked in Delhi (that's 300 in Delhi alone), and likely hundreds more that weren't reported. The most interesting thing to me was that women had to ask permission to seek health services (often denied by their husbands, in-laws, or parents) and that women didn't have any expectation of privacy regarding their medical services if they were married. As readers know, issues regarding safe motherhood are not at all limited to India.RHRealityCheck.org wrote about a human rights challenge to Nicaragua's abortion ban.
For full article please refer to the link above..
Our blog was mentioned on the Reporductive Rights blog and here is the article where it gets linked
In the past few days I've found a whole lot of stories that I don't want clogging my bookmarks. Plus, my mac sucks. Just thought I would throw that out there.Excerpts from Reproductive Rights blog News Round Up (Jan. 1)- Happy New Year! In the past few days I've found a whole lot of stories that I don't want clogging my bookmarks. Plus, my mac sucks. Just thought I would throw that out there.
The American College of OBGYNs (great website, btw) is now recommending that ALL women be offered a screening test for Down's Syndrome. This less invasive test (less invasive than an amniocentises) is called a nuchal translucency test, which measures the fetus' neck width. The test can be done earlier in the pregnancy, which gives women options to terminate, or to prepare for the baby earlier.
I got an email giving me a heads up about a campaign to reduce maternal mortality in India. One of the things that struck me when I was in India was how little autonomy women had regarding their own health care. We had 300 reported cases of bride burnings the summer I worked in Delhi (that's 300 in Delhi alone), and likely hundreds more that weren't reported. The most interesting thing to me was that women had to ask permission to seek health services (often denied by their husbands, in-laws, or parents) and that women didn't have any expectation of privacy regarding their medical services if they were married. As readers know, issues regarding safe motherhood are not at all limited to India.RHRealityCheck.org wrote about a human rights challenge to Nicaragua's abortion ban.
For full article please refer to the link above..
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