Hospitals in need of a health check

MOTHERS AND BABIES FOUND TO BE IN PERIL AT 343 HOSPITALS ACROSS 6 STATES, WITH MANY HEALTH CENTRES LACKING BASIC FACILITIES

N early eight in 10 Indian babies are now delivered in hospitals but 343 health-care institutions across six states often lacked basic hygiene, toilets, clean water and waste disposal, according to a new survey released by the WaterAid India advocacy.

So, despite the fact that 79 per cent of babies were born in hospitals in 2011-12, up from 41 per cent in 2005-06, according to government data, India continues to have the highest rate of maternal and infant mortality among emerging nations.

Water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) facilities — as they are collectively called — were often absent; if pipes were laid, water was often unavailable; and there were largely no data or national planning for such facilities in primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), area and district hospitals surveyed by WaterAid over 2014 and 2016 in 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Telangana, Odisha and Karnataka.

As many as 167 Indian mothers die during every 100,000 live births, a rate higher than Cambodia with 161, and 22 infants die after every 1,000 live births, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data.

We compared maternal and infant mortality data in the six states that WaterAid surveyed and found that Andhra Pradesh had the lowest percentage of toilets in health facilities with 28 per cent in hospitals followed by Telangana with 47.6 per cent, according to health ministry data.

More than 50 per cent of health care facilities in the other states had toilets, but the survey indicates that these may not be maintained well or have water.

Rex Features A woman feeds her child in the corridor of the Shivpuri District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh. India continues to have the highest rate of maternal and infant mortality among emerging nations.

Rex Features Women and children in the corridor adjacent to the maternity area at the Shivpuri District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh. The country is in the midst of an economic boom but problems such as child malnutrition are still rampant.