Prevent maternal deaths in Khammam, Collector Gautham tells medical officers

Pregnant women should be made aware of the importance of taking nutritional food and they should be monitored for 45 days of childbirth.

Khammam: District Collector VP Gautham has asked health officers and staff to pay special attention to prevent maternal deaths in the district. He held a review meeting on maternal deaths at Government Medical College here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the maternal mortality rate in the country was 52, 42 in Telangana State and 45 in Khammam district. Pregnant women should be given better treatment and care to prevent their death during child delivery.

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Nine maternal deaths occurred in the district from April, 2023 to January, 2024, the causes of death, Gautham said.He discussed measures to be taken to prevent recurrence of maternal deaths with the medical officers.

Pregnant women should be made aware of the importance of taking nutritional food and they should be monitored for 45 days of childbirth.

The details of all pregnant women in the district should be registered.

Regular medical check-ups should be done; iron and folic tablets should be provided. Continuous tests right from the time of conception should be done to protect pregnant women from anemia, Gautham suggested.

He also reviewed medical services being provided to patients visiting Government General Hospital and asserted that quality medical services should be provided to patients.

The strength of doctors increased to 113 from 90, staff nurses to 230 from 147 after the medical college was set up. The target of 1000 institutional deliveries per month should be reached and normal delivery should be encouraged.

There were two Targeted Imaging for Fetal Anomalies (TIFFA) testing machines and five radiologists available in the hospital and TIFFA tests should be carried out according to the number of deliveries besides increasing CT scan tests, the Collector noted.

Steps should be taken to arrange labs and lecture halls for the second year of MBBS classes at the college, he said. Medical college principal Dr. Rajeswara Rao, DCHS Dr. Venkateshwarlu, DM&HO Dr. Ramulu Naik and others were present.