SHILLONG: After a recent incident in East Garo Hills, where a pregnant woman was carried by fellow villagers on a makeshift bamboo stretcher for nearly 7 km to the nearest primary health centre, the Assembly Committee on Woman Empowerment has asked the state government to provide top priority to pregnant women and children, especially as the maternal mortality rate in the state is high, according to recent statistics.
Sharing the views of the Committee, HM Shangpliang, who is a member of the panel, lamented that the mortality rate of women and children is growing day by day, which is a matter of serious concern.
“The government and Health department need to introspect on the whole issue and tackle the problem,” he said.
In the wake of the recent incident in East Garo Hills, the Committee has asked the government to pay special attention on the matter since there were also problems relating to roads and communications besides institutional deliveries.
It has to be mentioned that despite the hurdles, the woman from East Garo Hills delivered twin babies.
“We are repeatedly encountering situations in which pregnant mothers are being victimised over non-availability of proper healthcare,” Shangpliang said, while asking the Health department to look into the situation and find out as to why the woman was carried in a stretcher when Asha workers have been assigned in the state to help with the delivery of babies.
The Committee will visit Mawkyrwat, South West Khasi Hills, on Thursday to take stock of the healthcare infrastructure for pregnant mothers and children in the district.
It will also examine the crime rate against women as well as children in the district.
At least 61 pregnant women and 877 newborns died in Meghalaya within four months starting from April this year for want of admission to hospitals and also due to lack of medical attention as a result of the diversion of health machinery to fight COVID-19 pandemic.
