Tamil Nadu steps up measures to check maternity mortality ratio: All pregnancies to be registered now

Women can register their pregnancies in the helpline number 102. Women from all socio-economic backgrounds will be covered in this plan. The healthcare department can keep a track of all pregnant women and their deliveries in this plan. 

In a move to ensure that maternity deliveries are safe, the Tamil Nadu government is planning to issue a mandate, which will require all pregnant women to register their pregnancies with the health department. Those who do not register their pregnancies will not get to register the child birth too. They will also not be entitled for a birth certificate of the child.

The issue is likely to be launched by July. Till then, women will be allowed to register their pregnancies by calling a non-emergency medical helpline number 102. It can also be registered through private hospitals. Meanwhile, health secretary J Radhakrishnan, speaking to the Times of India, said, "It's an ambitious project that attempts to bring down maternal and infant mortality rates by keeping a tab on every pregnant woman in the state."

The registration will not only help the administration to track down the cases and ensure that the deliveries are done properly. Reminder of health check-ups and health warnings like anaemia, diabetes and hypertension can also be sent to the concern patients. A special platform called Pregnancy Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) is being tested in three different districts of Tamil Nadu for the purpose. 

Close to 60% of the deliveries happen in government hospitals, but the deliveries happening in private hospitals and at home remain out of the purview of the government. This syetm will captivate all the women of every socio-economic background. The main issue is women in the rural areas, who have more than two children do not register their third pregnancy since they are not eligible for welfare schemes like the Muthulakshmi Reddy scheme that draws them to government hospitals. A senior doctor said, "When women move places for delivery, we want to make sure health care providers at the new place have adequate information about the expectant mother. Information usually reaches district headquarters only when it audits maternal death. The new platform keeps everyone informed."

This will also help in maintaining a record of the reasons of termination of pregnancy and caesarian deliveries in private hospitals. That way, it will also help in determining if there are any illegal cases of foeticide or female infanticide. Incidentally, the maternity mortality ratio has been coming down across the country.