Move aimed at promoting institutional delivery of newborns
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In an attempt to encourage institutional delivery of newborns especially in the rural areas, the State Government is contemplating to set up labour rooms in the various Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Sub-Health Centres (SHCs) in the State.
“We are planning to construct more labour rooms in various PHCs and SHCs as part of our attempt to encourage people in the rural areas to go for institutional delivery of their newborn,” Deputy Chief Minister and in charge Health and Family Welfare, Rowell Lyngdoh, said on Thursday.
He also informed that the State Government has received a directive from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for construction of more labour rooms in various health centres in the rural areas to promote institutional delivery.
Commenting that there is high instance of expecting mothers giving birth at home in the rural areas Lyngdoh said that delivery at home is not safe since there is risk to the life of both the mother and the newborn.
“We hope that with this new initiative there would be a drastic increase in the number of people going for institutional delivery in the near future,” Lyngdoh said.
He also informed that the State Government is intending to sanction various staff to the rural health centres to make them operational.
Lyngdoh also informed that there are many projects under the Health and Family Welfare department where the foundation stone has been laid but the project is yet to take off due to fund constraints.
Citing an example, he said that the foundation stone of the PHC at Jirang in Ri-Bhoi district was laid few years back but the project is yet to take off due to funds constraints. “We would like to allocate funds for such project if possible from the State Plan to ensure that that these projects see the light of the day,” Lyngdoh added.
The Deputy Chief Minister also informed that his department was concerned about the shortage of doctors especially in the rural health centres.
“The PHC is supposed to have a minimum of three doctors. But sadly at present most of the PHCs have only one doctor. It is because of the shortage of doctors that the PHCs are not able to give the required services to the people,” he added.
