Assembly panel seeks report on pregnant women from containment zones

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 28, 2020

The Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment on Friday asked the health department to submit a report on the number of pregnant women, who require medical assistants, from areas declared as containment zones due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision was taken after the CWE has taken strong note on the incident where a pregnant woman coming from a containment zone, was initially denied admission by the Ganesh Das hospital for delivery and the subsequent passing away of her new born baby.

Speaking to reporters, CWE chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the explanation given by the Director of Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War is sufficient to understand that the unfortunate incident should not have occurred.

Having said that, she said in future, the COVID wards of every hospital should be adequately planned and prepared in the event for women especially those in their final term of pregnancies.

“We have requested the health department to ensure an immediate study should be made of the number of pregnant women who are likely to require medical assistance from containment zones, and that adequate number of beds should be put in all hospitals to ensure that there will be no repeat of this unfortunate circumstance,” Lyngdoh said.

Lyngdoh said that the health officials have informed that in Ganesh Das hospital alone, the total number of isolation beds for pregnant women has increased to 30 from 5.

“The health department including the Superintendent of Ganesh Das has also assured that they are now prepared in the event of any women going into labour especially from containment zones,” she added.

The chairperson further informed that the committee has also requested the health department  to undertake some sort of a study to understand the numbers of cases of chronic ailments of individuals who live in and around containment zones.

“It is very unfortunate when we get reports that somebody from the containment zones was denied medical assistance irrespective of the ailments that they had. Hospitals should ensure that whatever medical assistance required to residents from containment should be treated with utmost care and delicacy. We cannot imagine that this stigma continues and that individuals who live in containment zones literally are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea as they have nowhere to go,” she said.

On the other hand, CWE member and Mawsynram MLA, Himalaya Shangpliang said that the committee has also expressed concern over the lack of etiquettes from the health workers while dealing with patients especially those coming from rural areas.

He said the committee has suggested the need for organizing a capacity building or orientation for health workers so that people from rural areas are treated well.

“I sincerely appeal to all health workers to kindly be kind as a little bit of smile is good enough to ward away any pain and suffering,” he concluded.