Covid-19: Telangana focus on safety of over 1 lakh pregnant women

HYDERABAD: Alarmed at the rising number of Covid-19 cases among pregnant woman in the second wave, health authorities on Friday said they are making elaborate arrangements to track more than 1 lakh women due for deliveries in the May-July period. Of 1,02,641 women, at least 16,333 are from Hyderabad and surrounding districts of Medchal-Malkajgiri and Ranga Reddy.
“The surveillance of Covid- 19 will be continued till the second wave recedes and the data on all pregnant women in Telangana is being captured,” one official overseeing the work said.

The fever survey is also focussed about finding any coronavirus symptoms among pregnant women. Infected pregnant women with mild and moderate symptoms are being treated locally while serious cases are being shifted to Gandhi hospital.
Since the second wave began in March this year, the state-run Gandhi hospital has treated more than 400 pregnant women for coronavirus.
“But the death rate is almost negligible, and 10 babies were delivered here. There are about 50 pregnant women who are infected with Covid-19 being treated here,” Dr Raja Rao, Gandhi hospital superintendent said.
According to Dr Pramila Sekhar, a senior consultant gynaecologist said, Covid- 19 protocols and treatment for pregnant women are same as regular patients.
“The immunity levels are generally less in pregnant women, and they need to be under constant monitoring. But there is no need to be panic as the recovery rate is very high among pregnant women with Covid-19, also as in case of regular people. I handled four or five pregnant women this year, and all them have recovered well,” she pointed out.
They should follow the SMS (sanitization of hands, masks, safe distance) protocol, she added.
From Monday onwards, medicine facility has been made operational for pregnant women where mandal level health officers will help women who are due for delivery. The district level staff are being trained for performing deliveries for Covid-19 pregnant women.