Jaipur: Chief secretary V Srinivas Saturday inspected Umaid Hospital in Jodhpur amid scrutiny over maternal deaths reported in July and August and directed officials to strengthen maternity and neonatal care.Jodhpur is among districts, including Kota, Bikaner, Bhilwara and Banswara, where maternal deaths reported over the past four months are under review.Srinivas inspected the obstetrics and gynaecology OPD, labour room, operation theatres, gynaecology ICU, high dependency unit and post-operative wards. He directed officials to ensure adequate equipment, resources and treatment arrangements, besides regular monitoring of critical care services.He also inspected the out-born and in-born nurseries at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and reviewed newborn treatment arrangements. Hospital authorities were directed to keep neonatal services fully functional and continuously monitor facilities required for safe deliveries and infant care.Talking to reporters, Srinivas said the state govt had launched initiatives for safe motherhood and child health, including Prasav Sakhi, high-risk pregnancy monitoring, antenatal care and Kangaroo Care.Meanwhile, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Gayatri Rathore reviewed district-level arrangements in Jaipur for high-risk pregnancies, deliveries and maternal deaths reported during the past seven days.Rathore said action would be taken if negligence was found at any stage, from antenatal check-ups to delivery and postnatal care. She ordered an inquiry and strict action against the general nurse midwife concerned in a maternal death case reported from Churu.She also reviewed mentoring support by medical college specialists to district health workers and directed officials to continue it regularly. She ordered immediate corrective measures over slow progress in anaemia management in Bharatpur and Bikaner zones.
