DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand recorded eight stillbirths per thousand births, which is more than double the national average of three per thousand in 2019, data provided by National Health Mission (NHM), Uttarakhand, has revealed. Other Himalayan states had similar figures that year, except for J&K, which had the least stillbirths, one per thousand.
Kerala performed best in maternal and neonatal mortality rate index. Mizoram had the lowest infant mortality rate. Uttarakhand performed slightly better in these parameters, having recorded figures close to the national average. As for the worrying trend of increased stillbirths, authorities blamed dependence on unregistered medical practitioners and lack of timely healthcare in the hills for this.
"Quacks pop up in pockets that have dense populations like Haridwar or even Dehradun. They are the primary reason behind such health problems and are never held accountable. We will work to take action against them and stop such practice across the state," said Dr R Rajesh Kumar, mission director, NHM. Another senior official of the programme said the state's difficult terrain, which prevents timely healthcare from reaching people in hilly areas, is also a major cause.
A case in point occurred on July 22, when a pregnant minor girl delivered a baby in the toilet of the Rudraprayag district hospital and both the baby boy and the mother died within hours.
As for infant mortality cases (deaths of children upto one-year-old), Uttarakhand recorded 24 deaths every thousand live births in 2019, close to the national average of 28 deaths per thousand live births that year. Neonatal mortality (deaths of children up to 28 days old) was 19 per thousand, as compared to the national average of 22 per thousand in 2019. The under-five mortality in the state (deaths of children within five years of birth), was 30 per thousand, same as the national average that year. Maternal mortality was 101 per lakh in the hill state, as compared to the national average of 103 per lakh.
Kerala had the best maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality rates, at 30 per lakh, five per thousand and nine per thousand respectively. Mizoram fared best in infant mortality, having lost only three infants per thousand. Based on the data of the Sustainable Development Goals study of 2020, the immunisation of children in the 9-11-month bracket remained slightly lower in the state than the national average -- 90 % compared to 91 %. This was highest in Maharashtra, at 100 %.
The rate of institutional deliveries was also considerably lower in Uttarakhand (88.8 %) as compared to the national average (94.4 %). Goa fared best, at 99.9 %. Uttarakhand also has a glaring lack of physicians, nurses and midwives: only 15 per 10,000 population, as opposed to 36.54 per 10,000 in the country. Kerala again fared best un this, having 115 medical staff for every 10,000 persons.
Officials said efforts are on to improve the numbers significantly in the coming years.
