Rural women urged to give birth at hospitals

Mother and Child Welfare Programme comes to Sanghar district in third phase

HYDERABAD:

Even in the 21st century, many women in rural Sindh give birth at home rather than in the safe environment of hospitals, said Sanghar district Deputy Commissioner Dr Imranul Hasan Khwaja.

He said that the Sindh government has launched a programme for better health of pregnant women and new-born babies with the aim of encouraging expectant mothers to give birth in hospitals instead of at home.

He expressed this while during a meeting of the district coordination committee.

Dr. Khwaja stated, Peoples' Primary Health Initiative Sindh (PPHI Sindh) under the Sindh social security authority has launched the "Mother and Child Welfare Programme" through its 750 hospitals in 15 districts of the province in which Sanghar district has also been included in the third phase.

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The Program Manager of Social Security Hafiz Zafaruddin Qazi, while briefing the meeting through video link, informed that the total cost of this programme is around Rs50 billion for which the main financial support has been provided by the World Bank and the objective of this programme is to improve maternal and child health including implementation of social security system in the province so that the less privileged areas can be provided social security by the state.

Under the programme, 1.3 million women, giving birth in hospitals in 15 districts of Sindh, will be paid Rs30,000 each in instalments, including basic health facilities, medicines, laboratory tests and check-up facilities upon arrival at the hospital, he said and added that 40 to 50 per cent of women in Sindh give birth at home instead of hospitals, which puts the health of mother and child at risk.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Saleem Jatoi, all assistant commissioners, district health officer, additional director of local government and other members were also present in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2024.