Expert lauds Kerala's record in maternal care

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Kerala has received a pat from an expert for its public health status and low maternal mortality rate.    “Kerala is remarkable; even the poorest person has access to the internet and TV. This  can be channelled  to create awareness among people about the high-risk pregnancy. Introducing health-related content in a sitcom is more effective than a pamphlet in  reaching out to people,”  according to Dr. John Smolenic,  perinatal specialist  and director of foeto-maternal unit, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney .

“Media can have more influence on the mothers  than the best foetal medicine in the world,” he said while attending    a three-day Continued Medical Education (CME) programme organised by the department of high-risk obstetrics and foetal medicine and department of obstetrics and gynaecology, KIMS, here. He conducted a training session for bridging   the gap between Indian and  western medical technologies.

About 120 professionally qualified delegates from all over India attended the programme when   panel discussions and lecture by specialists were conducted.
Dr. R.  Vidyalakshmy,  a perinatal medicine specialist,  had  trained under Dr. John Smolenic in Sydney with a fellowship after  which  the department was set up at KIMS in 2009.  “At that time,  the  specialty was unheard of in Kerala. We had to educate the doctors.  Slowly  things changed by 2010-11,”  said Dr. Vidyalak-shmy.

“Still not many people know that folic  acid (that prevents birth defects of baby's brain and spinal cord) should be taken before pregnancy,” she said.          “More focus should be given to preventive care  rather than bringing a patient to a hospital when she has already developed  fits. That makes a huge difference.   Every foetus has a right to live,”   she added.