BHOPAL: Even as government continues to make lofty claims about better health services in the State, but if one goes by the data, not much has improved as Madhya Pradesh continues to be one of the states registering highest Infant Mortality Rate in the country.
As per 2015-16 report of NFHS-4, IMR of state stands at 51, the third highest in the country. The national average is 41. Uttar Pradesh tops the chart with 64, followed by Chhattisgarh with IMR 54. In Jharkhand the rate is 44, Bihar 48, Rajasthan 41 and West Bengal 27.
In last nine year, over 60,581 deaths have been reported in the government run, Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCU) of the state, this excludes deaths reported in other district hospitals, private hospitals and in households.
In the year 2008, 70 infants died in the state, on every 1000 live births, which was all time high in the nation. The national IMR was 53, in Orissa 69 and in Uttar Pradesh 67 infants were died, on every 1000 births.
That year 402 infant deaths were reported in SNCU, but then there was only single SNCU in the state. In the year 2009-10, 2026 infants died in SNCU and the IMR recorded was 67, but still it was highest in the county.
Around 3281 infants died in year 2010-11, next year the mortality figure was 5600, in 2012-13 it was 7832 and in the year 2013-14 the number increased to 9989 deaths. Year 2014-15 recorded 9681 infant mortality, while in the year 2015-16 the figure touched 11497. Till December 2016, as many as 10273 infants have died in the state.
In the year 2013, IMR in MP and Assam stood at 54. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu made their health services better and had registered IMR as low as 12 and 21 respectively during that period. Even in the states like UP and Orissa the IMR was 50 and 51, lower than MP.
Social activist Pradeep Khandelwal said that that state government started New Born Sick Units at CHC level, but most of them have now closed as government failed to provide adequate staff to run them. Even in the district hospitals paediatrician are not available, the condition of CHC and PHC are worst, he added.
Deputy director child health Dr Rajshree Bajaj said that IMR was not only connected with the child, but it has to do much with mother and her health. Delay in providing proper and immediate health care to ailing child leads to fatalities. Infants admitted in SNCU are mostly referred from PHC or CHC. By the time they are brought to the unit their condition is deteriorated leading to their untimely deaths. As a result the IMR rate increases.
