Jaipur: Nearly one in every 10 pregnant women screened in tribal-dominated Dungarpur district over an 11-month period was found to be suffering from severe anaemia, with more than 1,600 requiring blood transfusions, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha.Replying to a question by Banswara MP Rajkumar Roat, Union minister of state for health Anupriya Patel said 34,304 pregnant women were screened in Dungarpur between April 2025 and February 2026, of whom 3,152 were diagnosed with severe anaemia, defined as haemoglobin levels below 7 gm/dl. During the same period, Government Medical College and its affiliated hospital in Dungarpur issued 5,390 units of blood and blood components, including 1,662 units transfused to pregnant women for treatment. The data indicates that nearly 9.2% of all pregnant women screened in the district were severely anaemic.The figures come at a time when maternal healthcare in Rajasthan is under scrutiny following the deaths of 21 women after childbirth in govt hospitals since May—in Kota, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Banswara and Jodhpur. The incidents have triggered multiple inquiries and renewed concerns over the quality of maternal care, particularly in vulnerable regions.The figures assume significance as Dungarpur continues to report one of the highest anaemia burdens in Rajasthan. According to National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), 72.6% of women aged 15-49 years in Dungarpur are anaemic, compared with 54.4% across Rajasthan. Centre also informed Parliament that 46.3% of pregnant women in the state are anaemic, while the prevalence among Scheduled Tribe women aged 15-49 years stands at 61.6%, underscoring the disproportionate burden borne by tribal communities.Centre, however, said it has no separate programme exclusively for tribal districts to address maternal anaemia. It said the issue is being tackled through existing national initiatives, including Anaemia Mukt Bharat campaign and other maternal health programmes aimed at screening pregnant women, providing iron and folic acid supplementation, treatment and nutritional counselling.Reacting to the figures, Rajkumar Roat said the data reflected the continuing neglect of maternal health in Rajasthan’s tribal belt.“These figures are alarming. When over 3,000 pregnant women in a single district are found with severe anaemia within a year, it is clear that tribal areas need a focused nutrition and maternal healthcare strategy instead of routine schemes. The Centre and the state government must prepare a dedicated action plan for tribal districts,” Roat told TOI.Roat said he would continue to raise the issue with both Centre and Rajasthan govt, seeking stronger nutrition interventions, regular screening of pregnant women and improved healthcare infrastructure in tribal areas.