More than 95% maternal deaths in Ludhiana from migrant population

In a telling stat, more than 95% maternal deaths reported in the district were from the migrant population, as per the latest data released by the registrar general of India.

The most common causes of maternal deaths, the data showed, were anaemia, post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) and multiple pregnancies.

District health authorities, meanwhile, said 90 maternal deaths per lakh live births were reported till October in the 2022-23 financial year. The figure stood at 114 deaths per lakh live births in 2021-22. According to the health officials, the months between August and October reported a high delivery rate.

Maternal mortality ratio in Punjab, meanwhile, came down significantly from 129 to 105 per lakh live births which is a 13.93% fall.

Notably, the National Rural Health Mission’s guidelines mandates for every maternal death to be reviewed. The investigation for the same, meanwhile, needs to be carried out within 45 days.

District officials also revealed that with the city being a migrant hub, most cases of maternal deaths — over 95% — were reported from the migrant population. Attributing the trend to a lack of awareness about pregnancy-related issues, officials said it was very difficult to trace the victims after deaths given that they are constantly on the move. They added the same posed problems in conducting the death reviews.

Addressing the issue, district family welfare officer Harpreet Singh said, “Most of the migrants come to us at the last stage of pregnancy. Sometimes with existing complications, they travel from their states and come to us 10-15 days before delivery. Some don’t even come to us and choose to stay at home even with complications.”

There are different approaches to investigate maternal deaths including — community-based maternal death review (verbal autopsy), facility-based maternal deaths review, confidential enquiries into maternal deaths, surveys of severe morbidity and clinical audit.

According to the guidelines all deaths in the age group of 15 to 49 years are meant to be reported to the block medical officer within 24 hours in community-based reviews.

Facility-based maternal death reviews, meanwhile, must be taken up for all government teaching hospitals, referral hospitals and other facilities where more than 500 deliveries are conducted in a year.