Madurai IMR higher than state average

Madurai: There has been no improvement in the infant mortality rate in the district as data for 2018 shows an increase from the previous year. Health department officials said that they are doing their best to bring the number down.

According to data accessed by TOI from the district maternal and child health officer, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) for Tamil Nadu is 66 for every one lakh live births while the infant mortality ratio (IMR) is 16 for every 1,000 live birth. Currently, the IMR for Madurai district in 2018 is 0.6 points higher than the state average at 16.6/1,000 live births. However, the MMR for Madurai district in 2018 is only 52/1 lakh live births as compared to the state average.

“We are doing our best possible to provide basic primary care at our urban primary health centres (UPHC). But, high risk mothers need to be referred to higher centres like the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH). Not all the primary health centres (PHC) in the district are equipped to have C-sections performed. We have four obstetricians and gynaecologists and four anaesthesiologists who are handling c-sections in PHCs across Madurai,” said Dr Arjun Kumar, deputy director of health services, Madurai. Notably, in 2017, the MMR shot up to nearly twice the previous year because of a dengue outbreak in the district. Officials said that measures are being taken to control dengue and careful monitoring of pregnant women suffering from fever is also being done.

“We are continually tracking pregnant women across all 13 PHC blocks in Madurai. According to our guidelines, high-risk mothers should be referred to higher centres at least two weeks before the due date. Unfortunately, in some cases, it is difficult because even families refuse to cooperate when we refer them and come to us at the last minute. We need to create more awareness particularly in rural areas,” said D Beaulah, district maternal and child health officer. An RTI filed by Veronica Mary revealed that there was little improvement in the number of deaths of mothers and newborns at the GRH in 2018 compared to the previous year. In 2017, out of the 24,078 pregnant women admitted to the GRH, 81 mothers and 463 infants died. In 2018, out of 22,375 pregnant women, 55 mothers and 409 infants died. Infant and maternal deaths became a topic of focus again in Madurai with the recent death of a mother at GRH after she underwent treatment at the upgraded PHC in Coonoor last week.