AP: Health officials to ensure safe delivery of 120 pregnant women in flood-hit areas
Vijayawada: As Godavari is rising alarmingly, inundating several villages along its course, the state health authorities have identified nearly 120 women in an advanced stage of pregnancy. If a situation warranted so, they would be moved to the nearby health centres to ensure safe delivery.
The health authorities were already in touch with pregnant women to provide them with regular health care and counseling and help them have delivery at government health centres, as part of efforts to promote institutional delivery in a big way. This is part of the state government’s efforts to ensure safety and health care for both mothers and infants.
However, as Godavari river witnesses heavy floods, the health authorities issued fresh directions to officials to reach out to the pregnant women to shift them to safety.
Officials identified three pregnant women in Kothalanka of Tallarevu mandal in Kakinada district and moved a pregnant woman at more than eight months’ pregnancy to a PHC in Muramalla as a precautionary measure.
Two more pregnant women with four to five months of pregnancy from flood-prone areas were advised to move to the homes of their kin in flood-free areas until the flood recedes. The family members of the woman shifted to Muramalla PHC said they were happy she now got good medical care.
So is the case with pregnant women from Kukkunuru and Velerupadu and those living in Polavaram project rehabilitation colonies. They too have been shifted to nearby PHCs. Some pregnant women from Velerupadu have been shifted to Gummadavalli PHC located close to Telangana border.
The health authorities converted a room in a government office as a health centre and arranged a labour room there with doctors and health staff to attend to delivery in case such a requirement arose. They were also keeping an ambulance ready to take all the pregnant women in flood-prone areas to the nearby health centre.
Meanwhile, the PHCs are working day and night in three shifts to attend to cases of delivery and other health issues.
Health director Dr Swarajya Lakshmi said, “We have identified nearly 120 pregnant women in advanced stages of pregnancy in Godavari flood- affected areas. We are taking all care to shift them to nearby health centres to ensure safe delivery.”
The health authorities were also taking steps to contain the spread of waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and gastroenteritis as the people tend to consume contaminated water during the floods. They have set up health camps in the flood-hit areas. “We are also getting ready to handle viral fevers like dengue once the water starts receding. We would conduct health camps in the affected areas to protect the health of the people,” officials said.
