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Focus on Maternal Mortality Rate reduction: Venkaiah
Bringing smiles on the face of pregnant women in pilgrim city, Vice-President elect M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the Institute of Pregnant Women (IPW) building, a 300-bed dedicated hospital for deliveries, on the premises of Sri Venkateswara Medical College (SVMC) here on Monday.
Tirupati: Bringing smiles on the face of pregnant women in pilgrim city, Vice-President elect M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the Institute of Pregnant Women (IPW) building, a 300-bed dedicated hospital for deliveries, on the premises of Sri Venkateswara Medical College (SVMC) here on Monday.
The first phase of the building was completed with an outlay of Rs 37.20 crore and executed by AP Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC). With IPW coming into existence, the scenes of two to three women sharing a single bed at the maternity hospital may soon become a history.
Around 300 women visit the hospital’s out-patient department daily and on an average 900-1,000 deliveries are recorded in a month. More than 35 discharges take place each day. Venkaiah felt that the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) was around 174 per one-lakh live births in India, which needs special focus.
He expressed his wish that the IPW will go a long way in addressing this issue. Health Minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas said that he has directed the officials concerned to provide required equipment, human resources and other infrastructure on war-footing within 45 days.
As the existing maternity hospital was not adequate to serve the pregnant women, it was proposed in 2012 to build the IPW with all modern amenities at an estimated cost of Rs 77 crore provided by the central government and the foundation stone was laid on April 2, 2012. It was inaugurated on February 26, 2014.
The hospital intended for the poor women, facilitates 100 deliveries at a time. Soon after its inauguration, the building was handed over to the SVIMS to house Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women (SPMC-W). At that time, it was felt necessary as the college was set to lose 150 medical seats if they don’t have a building.
The SVIMS took the building for one year with the approval of the state government which was strongly opposed by the doctors, students and social organisations. Despite several reminders from the central government, state government could not vacate the building.
Former Congress MP Chinta Mohan, who was instrumental in getting the IPW sanctioned by the central government, fought on several occasions for the immediate handing over of the same to the SVMC as thousands of poor women were suffering at the existing maternity hospital was not adequate for the increasing number of deliveries.
Several deadlines and promises in this regard went in vein as SVIMS was not able to handover it as the works of college building for SPMC-W was delayed abnormally.Finally, they have vacated the building and SVMC took the possession of the IPW.
By V Pradeep Kumar
