Rate of infant, maternal mortality down

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ambala, June 19

The infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) have come down in the state. The IMR has decreased from 33 in 2016 to 30 in 2017 as per the sample registration survey released in May.

The MMR has dipped from 127 in 2011-13 to 101 in 2014-16. Both the IMR and MMR have shown improvement compared to the national average of 33 and 130, respectively.

The state’s IMR remains the highest in North India, with Punjab recording 21, Delhi 16, Jammu and Kashmir 23, Himachal Pradesh 22 and Chandigarh 14. The state’s MMR is better than Punjab’s 122 and Rajasthan’s 199.

“This is the result of the state government’s initiative of providing excellent health services,” said Health and Family Welfare Minister Anil Vij.

He said the government had taken initiatives such as early detection and management of high-risk pregnancy, use of iron sucrose to treat anaemia in pregnant women, increase in institutional deliveries and strengthening of labour rooms, special newborn care units and newborn stabilisation units.

“Routine immunisation coverage has improved. All newborns are provided home-based postnatal care by ASHA workers,” he pointed out.