SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment have expressed grave concern over the high Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) in East Garo Hills and West Garo Hills districts.
The committee which extensively travelled in two districts of Garo Hills held a meeting with the officials of the Health department and asked them to immediately prepare a plan of action for addressing the problem.
Addressing a press conference after holding meetings with the Health department, chairman of the committee, Ampareen Lyngdoh termed the situation as alarming while informing that in the last 6 months, there have been 140 cases of MMR in West Garo Hills.
She informed that women were not getting access to treatment for Gynaecology complications as Megha Health Insurance scheme necessitated the submission of print of ultrasound and the ultrasound machine was found not working. Hence the Committee asked the officers of the department to look into the matter and officials had assured that they would follow up the matter and a new ultrasound machine is likely to be sanctioned with working printers.
When asked about the cause of high MMR in the two districts of Garo Hills, Lyngdoh said that the Committee was informed that the pregnant mothers have to cover huge distance besides difficult terrain, poor connectivity and high presence of anemia are some of the main factors for the problem.
Lamenting that the institutional delivery in West Garo Hills was mere 46 per cent, Lyngdoh added that teenage pregnancy was also one of the reasons for high IMR
The Committee has also decided that after getting data from all the line departments, they would be asking the Government to formulate a policy to ensure that adequate publicity and awareness takes place to discourage teenage pregnancies
Terming Anemia as a number one killer and one of the primary causes for the increase of MMR in Meghalaya, the Committee has also asked the DHS to come with a plan to address the concern.
The member of the Committee, HM Shangpliang also informed that the Committee inspected the MCH Hospital in Tura and they found that there was shortage of beds in the hospital
“Only 50 beds are there and when inspected, there were as many as 96 patients and we feel that an extension of the hospital is required,” Shangpliang added.
During it visit to the Garo Hills, the Committee also met many organizations who apprised the Committee about the problems which women face.
Lyngdoh said that they held detailed discussions on law enforcement agencies and the Committee got a feeling that women were still inadequately protected by police
While discussing about POCSO, the Committee was told the two districts of Garo Hills did not have a functional police station and women cells and they are under- staffed as far as women police officers are concern.
During the meeting on Monday, the DGP gave an assurance to the Committee that the shortage of woman police personnel in Tura and Williamnagar would be addressed to.
The Committee was also informed that 90 per cent of the accused who are booked under POCSO usually gets bail and the Committee has asked the SPs of both the districts to send their data to the committee.
The Committee also discussed about the sexual harassment of women in work place and they were assured that all out efforts would be put in place to ensure that women is safe while she works in Government as well as non-Governmental organisatons.