72 per cent of maternal deaths in rural Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Of the maternal deaths that happened in Tamil Nadu between April 2014 and March 2024, 72% were in rural areas and 28% in urban areas, as per an analysis report released by the health department recently. Based on the findings, the department is in the process of chalking out a plan to reduce the mortality rate.
In rural areas, maternal deaths are linked to delays in recognising complications in mothers by health staff at primary and secondary care institutions while the deaths in urban areas are associated with the non-availability of guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs), infrastructure, human resources and life-saving equipment at small private nursing homes, stated the report. In the last 10 years, a total of 6,008 maternal deaths have been recorded in the state of which 4,351 have occurred in rural areas, and 1,657 in urban areas.
Also, 63% of total maternal deaths occurred at medical college hospitals and 11% of maternal deaths happened in transit while shifting the mother from one institution to another. This indicates that the mother reaches the institution in a moribund condition and arrives late at the referral facility.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr T S Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine said, “We will train and retrain staff with SOPs at all the levels including in private sectors.”
Selvavinayagam added that the inadequate distribution of health infrastructure was one of the key factors causing a higher number of deaths in rural deaths. Urban areas are equipped with better health facilities. “We will ensure proper tracking of every mother whether she is from rural or urban area even if she is not in the high risk category,” he said.
To further reduce the maternal mortality rate in the state, the DPH stressed identifying major problems like pregnancy-induced hypertension, postpartum haemorrhage, sepsis and other risk factors at the earliest and providing the mothers with the best possible treatment.
