Thiruvananthapuram: The
CAG report on social sector for the year ending 2017, which was tabled in the assembly, pointed out serious deficiencies in providing delivery services to women, setting up facilities for infants at delivery points and the shortfall in infrastructure.
It also found that the
state hadn’t released its share of the National Health Mission (NHM)
funds allotted by the Centre from 2012 to 2017. The audit observed that the state
failed to release Rs 323.22 crore during this period and this was not communicated to the Centre. Though guidelines stipulate that state share should be increased every year, there was no information on the increase in the state’s expenditure corresponding to the central expenditure.
The report pointed out that caesarean procedures in Kerala were way above the national average. Against the national average of 17.2%, data obtained from the directorate of health services showed that 40-42% of deliveries in Kerala were C-sections in the said period. “The government accepted that the state average (of C-section deliveries) was high and admitted that it was a shameful situation,” the report said.
Other major findings of the report are that over 12% of 24.95 lakh pregnant women – who registered for antenatal care – did not receive iron and folic acid tablets. There was shortfall in the percentage of women who received tetanus toxoid shots. It also found that 37% of 24.95 lakh pregnant women were not tested for HIV. Delivery facilities were available only in 15 of the test-checked 65 institutions in select districts like Wayanad, Malappuram, Thrissur and Alappuzha.