Maharashtra ranks second in country for efforts to bring down maternal mortality rate

Dr Aniruddh Deshpande, assistant director, State Family Welfare Bureau and nodal officer-maternal health told The Indian Express that Maharashtra had done significant work in bringing down the maternal mortality rate from 38 per one lakh live births to 33 per lakh live births.

Dr Deshpande along with Dr Ashok Nandapurkar, deputy director (Family Welfare), State Family Welfare Bureau, collected the awards at a function held in New Delhi.

Dr Nandapurkar told The Indian Express that that sensitising care-providers for delivery of respectful maternity care and close monitoring of language, behaviour and conduct of the labour room and OT staff towards creating an enabling environment for natural birthing process is one of the targets of the ‘LaQshya’ initiative.

“Here too, Maharashtra’s performance has been applauded by the Centre and the health department received an award in this category,” he said.

Meanwhile, accredited social health activists from Gondia in Maharashtra were also awarded for their performance.