The Hindu : Front Page : A new prescription for safe motherhood

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 14, 2007
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A new prescription for safe motherhood

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: Discarding their rubber gloves and giving the stethoscope a rest, a team of doctors is now busy getting behind the camera and doing some serious script writing for the first venture of its kind by the medical fraternity in the country.

Serious about taking the message of safe motherhood to the remotest corners of the country, the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Societies of India is producing a 13-episode documentary-drama for radio and television that will go on air this July.

Star power

Putting to use expert advise, some Bollywood-style star power and an easy to understand storyline, the episodes being put-together will feature Bollywood stars including Hema Malini and promise to be interesting and informative at the same time.

"The Government has been doing its work and trying to spread the message of safe motherhood. However, people in the far-flung areas are yet to be reached. The idea behind getting the programme on radio and national television is to ensure that we reach people in the remotest corner of the country,'' says Pankaj Desai, president of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Societies of India.

The programme is specifically aimed at highlighting the hazards of home delivery; bringing to the forefront lack of antenatal care in the country; anaemia resulting in unsafe motherhood; and to keep at bay myths and disbeliefs associated with pregnancy.

Women in India have registered high levels of anaemia resulting in unsafe motherhood and childbirth and the problem has only grown over the years. While the radio programme is aimed at States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan -- areas that are worst affected by the phenomena -- the television programme is meant for women across the country.

Two capsules

Giving details about the blueprint for this ambitious project, Dr. Desai says: "The half-an-hour programme will be divided into two capsules. The first half will talk about the problem and the second will consist of celebrities and doctors discussing the issue. This is an ambitious project and we hope to be able to achieve what we have set out to do. Our studies have proved that it is lack of awareness that kills the mother during pregnancy and childbirth. With the radio and television reaching 99.7 per cent to 84.3 per cent of the population respectively, it is only right to tap the medium to give women the right information in a simple and effective manner.''

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