IT News
Imphal, August 4:
Women Action for Development has expressed its discontentment to learn the untimely demise of a pregnant woman in Manipur amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
A press release by the Women body said “Since the hospitals in the state are entirely occupied for treating the COVID patients, other non COVID patients and pregnant women in particular are facing the hardships at the most during this time, especially those in the containment zones. The state Health department must take up necessary arrangements to deal with such issues during the pandemic. “
“We truly are thankful to the front-liners for their devotion to help cure the COVID patients but at the same time , doctors to treat non Covid patients are to be assigned separately. If not then the probabilities of death among the non COVID patients will be higher than that of the death of non COVID patients due to the lack of such urgent medical facilities specially required by the pregnant women for delivery which cannot be stopped or postponed, “ it added.
WAD working for the course of women and children deeply show concern and sorrow about the death of women while giving birth during this pandemic, Longjam Basanti (34) and Thoudam (O) Malemnganbi, both from Thoubal district. Mention may be made, under the Indian Governmental scheme of women’s health, which are broadcasted every time at the radio ( Angang Unnaba basi di hospital khwai dagi henna phare ), needs to be restored amidst the pandemic, if not than the numbers of maternal deaths will increase in the coming days. WAD also has information of 8 pregnant women in I / E who may be expecting the delivery in the couple of weeks and months.
The press release further said “We have been informed by the ASHAS from different districts, that most of the pregnant women belong to really poor families with no proper food and care since they are the daily wage earners and could not work during the lockdown. The state must be inclined to give the other non COVID patients and pregnant women, specifically, the assurance that they would be taken care on medical grounds.”
WAD urged the government to provide temporary maternity hospital and special gynae ward at every district which can be access to the needy women, to identify the pregnant women and nursing mothers in every district and provide them proper supplementary nutrition and other health care essentials, to announce the citizens, the medical facilities implemented by the State government to treat the non-COVID patients during this pandemic, to initiate helpline numbers to handle other such medical emergencies specially for the delivery of child, to arrange a well equipped ambulance with a team to meet the needs of medical emergencies and delivery cases as such and to assign separate doctors and nurses to attend the delivery of child and non COVID patients.