NHRC Directs Odisha Govt To Strengthen Healthcare Facilities For Women

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha government to initiate necessary steps to address alleged inadequacies in healthcare facilities for pregnant women as many posts of gynaecologists are lying vacant in state-run hospitals.

The Commission issued the direction to the state Chief Secretary on a complaint filed by advocate Anup Kumar Patro, a human rights and RTI activist from Jeypore, according to sources.

The petitioner had sought the intervention of the rights panel citing lack of adequate healthcare facilities for pregnant women due to shortage of gynaecologists in government hospitals. Citing media reports, he alleged that maternal deaths were on the rise in the state.

A large number of vacancies exit as aogether 374 gynaecologists are at present serving against 561 posts in government hospitals. The number of vacancies happens to be  more in tribal and remote areas of the state. In Mayurbhanj and Koraput districts 23 and 18 posts of gynaecologists are lying vacant respectively.

It will be pertinent to note here that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Odisha now stands at 119 per one lakh births as against national average of 97 per lakh. The petitioner also pointed out that pregnant women and children are being deprived of regular services of Anganwadis, especially nutritional facilities due to strikes by Anganwadi workers, the sources added.