NOGS to give free services for pregnant women at government hospitals

Nagpur: Members of Nagpur Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society (NOGS) will be giving free services to pregnant women at government hospitals in periphery areas in coming days. The initiative is being taken under central government's Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) launched on Friday.

The scheme aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality, by providing fixed day antenatal care to pregnant women, especially poor, on ninth day of every month. Centre is approaching obstetricians, radiologists and physicians across the country to enrol under PMSMA. Once the doctors enrol, they will be allotted nearest government hospitals across the periphery area and each doctor will have to provide free service to poor women twice a year.

On the same day of launch a decision was taken by Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society of India (FOGSI) that every chapter coming under it will be enrolling under PMSMA, including NOGS. While addressing media, NOGS President Dr Anuradha Ridhorkar approached the doctor fraternity to voluntarily come forward and enrol under the scheme. Ridhorkar also announced about NOGS organized its annual Vidarbha level conference GYNAECON-2016 on November 12 and 13 at Hotel Centre Point, Ramdaspeth. Theme of the conference is ‘Evidence based obstetrics’ for safe Motherhood. In order to enrol doctors can either register online or call on the toll free number 1800-180-1104. Ridhorkar said, “In India mortality rate of infant is 40 per 10,000, while for mother is 168 per one lakh.”

Across 500 delegates from across Vidarbha, including doctors and nurses from Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) will be arriving. Obstetrician Dr Shushma Deshmukh said, “In rural areas, they should be able to make prompt referrals even if the women may not be doctors, she can be the nurse but she should be able to perform Antenatal care, so that patients don’t reach to us in irreversible stage. That’s how we can prevent many deaths.”

Past FOGSI presidents like Dr P C Mahapatra, Dr Vinita Salvi, Dr J Fidvi are going to address the delegates.

NOGS secretary Dr Shilpi Sud, Dr Kshma Kedar, Dr Suvarna Joshi, Dr Rakhi Gajbhiye also gave information about the conference.