The battle against birth pangs

When her labour pain started, instead of taking care of her, the nurse started screaming at Madhuri Kumari. “One of the nurses at a government hospital in my hometown in Bihar asked me to either go to a private hospital or deliver the baby at home,” the 23-year-old says, recalling the disrespectful behaviour of the healthcare provider during the birth of her first child. Kumari is one among the 32,241 women, who want dignity and respectful maternal healthcare as their priority, of the total 1,43,556 women who participated in the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) India’s nationwide campaign, Hamara Swasthya, Hamari Awaz, conducted across 24 states and Union Territories.

“It is a good initiative to encourage women to express their desire towards improving maternal healthcare. The access to maternal health entitlements, services and supplies need more improvement,” says Dr Punam Chowdhary, a doctor who practises in the rural areas of Asansol, West Bengal. With more than 44,000 maternal deaths every year, India remains one of the places in the world with highest risk in giving birth. Even though the government has upped the ante against maternal deaths by introducing policies that are working towards increasing the number of institutional deliveries, a lot of ground is yet to be covered.

Undoubtedly, the key to the progress of a country lies in reducing its maternal and child mortality and morbidity, but the notion of safe motherhood must be expanded beyond the gambit of mortality and morbidity to encompass respect and dignity for women.The campaign found that maternal health entitlement access forms top priority for 36 per cent of Indian women with four of every 10 voicing their need for access to maternal health services such as free medicines and medical examinations, access to blood banks, post-natal care, etc.

Two of every 10 women who participated in the survey, desired for maternal health services imbibed with dignity and respect, followed by 20 per cent who sought availability of health providers, 16 per cent for clean and hygienic health facilities, and 4 per cent for display of entitlements, schemes, and services. The remaining 1,555 women wanted a toilet to be constructed in every house, reproductive health education to be provided in the school, more employment opportunities for women and better roads.

The initiative aimed to understand how women across the country perceive and value the quality in maternal healthcare. The perception influences a woman’s decision to seek care in a particular institution, thereby indirectly affecting maternal mortality, so it is essential to engage women directly and understand the change they wish for. “The government needs to look into the loopholes and plug them. Fast-tracking and supervision of direct transfer of healthcare benefits to expecting mothers are the need of the hour,” says Dr Aparajita Gogoi, National Coordinator, WRA India.

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White Ribbon Alliance conducted the nationwide campaign-Hamara Swasthya, Hamari Awaz in which 1,43,556 women participated across 24 states and UTs.