The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Public hearing on safe motherhood held

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Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008
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Public hearing on safe motherhood held

KORAPUT: “My sister-in-law had died at the time of delivery for the lack of timely support from the Health Department,” Meleka Champa, a woman from Bandhugaon, alleged at Koraput on Monday. Meleka being an Asha health worker herself had the hope that her sister-in-law would get all the support that is being claimed by the department. But she was asked to shift the patient to Rayagada on her own expenses, she added. But there too she could not get well and had to be shifted to Bissumcuttack where she died before giving birth to child. She wondered if any common poor would get the benefits of the schemes and facilities of the government that were designed for ensuring safe motherhood at the grassroots when an Asha worker could not give justice to the faith of her family members. She was participating in a public hearing on safe motherhood being organised by SOVA with the support from the Orissa chapter of White-Ribbon Alliance.

While the district Health Department has several programmes to present before the participants, there were more grassroot realities being shared by affected poor people disturbing the claims made for health for all in Koraput district. Laxmi Gotam, another Asha worker from Ranikota in Peta panchayat of Lamtaput block presented reasons for the failure of NRHM at the grassroots. She alleged that the remuneration for carrying pregnant women to the nearest health centre was not being paid for the last one year.

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