As part of efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality, plans are afoot to set up birth waiting rooms at various public healthcare facilities in the district to improve access to prompt and comprehensive maternal health services for pregnant women, said Vakati Karuna, Commissioner, Public Health and Family Welfare, Telangana.
Addressing the officials of the District Medical and Health Department at a review meeting held at the Collectorate in Kothagudem on Friday, she said special focus should be laid on high risk pregnant women, mainly those suffering from anaemia in the remote areas of the district, to ensure increased access to timely maternal health services to them.
She asked the officials to prepare data of high risk pregnant women village-wise and ensure nutritious diet to them under Aarogya Lakshmi scheme and provide them timely access to institutional deliveries at the public health facilities.
A collaborative approach will help achieve the desired results, she said, underlining the need for a joint campaign by the District Rural Development Agency, the education, the women and child welfare among other allied departments in coordination with the health department to create awareness about the diagnosis, therapeutic and nutritional awareness interventions to prevent anaemia among pregnant women in the predominantly tribal populated district.
Referring to the ambitious plan to launch tele-consultation services across the State in a big way, the commissioner wanted the officials to ensure internet connectivity to all the public health facilities in the district.
Outlining various interventions to bolster public health infrastructure, she said efforts are on to expand the Telangana Diagnostic initiative aimed at providing modern diagnostic services at the State run hospitals to facilitate early diagnosis and referral treatment.
A plan is on the anvil to set up a palliative care centre in the district to offer services for patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses, she said.
Collector M V Reddy, Additional Collector D Anudeep, Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Bhadrachalam, Project Officer P Gowtham, and others were present.
Sources said that the meeting reviewed the ongoing measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, prevent seasonal diseases and effective implementation of various health schemes.
The issues such as shortage of medical staff mainly nurses and full time specialist doctors at government area hospital in Bhadrachalam reportedly figured during the deliberations of the meeting.
