Welcoming newborns in face of challenges: Primary Health Centres ensure safe deliveries

Morbi district’s Reproductive and Child Health Officer (RCHO) Dr Vipul Karoliya said, “At around 11.30 pm, just as the cyclone was intensifying, two women in advanced stages of pregnancy came to the PHC. These women were due in the first week of July but they had early labour and contacted their local health worker, who is in touch with pregnant women under her jurisdiction… They were immediately brought to the PHC in the ambulance, where the staff safely conducted the deliveries. Additionally, one woman, who had already been shifted to the PHC as part of the tracking and evacuation of women in advanced pregnancy ahead of the cyclone, also delivered a baby.”
On Friday too, the district’s Vavaniya PHC saw a woman admitted to the health centre, delivering a baby, Karoliya said.

As per the state government release on Friday, the district administrations of eight high-risk districts had shifted 1,152 pregnant women to safer medical centres in view of the cyclone. Of these, 707 women delivered their babies at the medical centres where they were shifted ahead of the cyclone’s landfall, the government release said.

According to the release, Kutch district had the highest number of pregnant women –552– being evacuated from high-risk areas, while Rajkot witnessed a figure of 176, Devbhumi Dwarka 135, Gir Somnath saw 94 such instances, Jamnagar 58, Porbandar 33, Rajkot city 26, eight in Junagadh and four were moved to safety from Jamnagar city.

Out of the eight districts, the release added, Kutch also saw 348 women delivering babies after being shifted to safer medical centres while Rajkot witnessed 100 deliveries, Devbhumi Dwarka 93, Gir Somnath 69, Porbandar 30, Junagadh 25, Jamnagar 17, Rajkot city 12, Junagadh city eight and Jamnagar saw four deliveries. The state government also added that 302 government ambulances and 202 ambulances of the 108 emergency service were pressed into action for evacuation of pregnant women ahead of the cyclone.

The government also installed diesel-powered 197 generators in various hospitals and health centres in affected districts and deployed additional ambulances.