HC seeks govt reply on steps to improve MMR

The Gujarat High Court has ordered the state government to clear its stand on action it contemplates to take to improve the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the state.

The Gujarat High Court has ordered the state government to clear its stand on action it contemplates to take to improve the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the state. The court has sought governments reply by September 10,the next date of hearing.

A division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala passed the order recently while acting on a public interest litigation moved by gynaecologist Dr Leela Trivedi.

Dr Trivedi had moved the petition in 2003 contending that the MMR in Gujarat was much higher than many other states and that it was a result of callous and indifferent attitude of the government towards the important human development issue.

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According to Dr Trivedis counsel Girish Patel,the present MMR in Gujarat is 148. He said that according to a target set by the United Nations,the rate should have been 100 by 2010 for Gujarat,but it has failed to achieve the same.

The petitioner has highlighted a number of points that are responsible for high MMR in the state,like vacancy of doctors,unavailability of specialists like anesthetists,lack of institutionalised deliveries,absence of any mechanism for the registration of pregnant women,absence of proper effective and timely mode of transport for pregnant women at the time of delivery.

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