Reducing the MMR and the IMR is an urgent need of the hour of the entire country
KECH, BALOCHISTAN: Pakistan has a very high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the region. Balochistan is the highest contributor, with an average of 785 out of 100,000 mothers dying in childbirth or related complications, while an average of 272 mothers die in other provinces of the country. Out of every 1,000 children under the age of five, 111 die in Balochistan, while other provinces have an average of 49 deaths. These are the numbers from a 2014 report of the Pakistan Health Demographic Survey (PHDS), and the situation has not gotten any better.
The majority of the mothers pass away due to lack of medical attention and facilities at the right time. Most of the positions for doctors in hospitals throughout the province remain vacant. Furthermore, the hospitals are few and sparsely-located.
Despite the limited financial resources, many people manage to take their womenfolk to hospitals that may be at least two to three hours away. Most of the time they are turned away due to inadequate facilities at the hospitals, and many women die while being transported from one hospital to the other.
Reducing the MMR and the IMR is an urgent need of the hour of the entire country, and special attention needs to be given to Balochistan in order to reduce the number of deaths caused by preventable complications.
Zaheer Doshambay
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2019.
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