Go for normal deliveries, Telangana health minister\'s advise to parents
Warangal: Health minister T. Harish Rao has advised parents of pregnant women to prefer normal deliveries as they are better for the health of women.
“Please do not choose good ‘muhurtams’ for deliveries through C-sections,” he remarked after laying the foundation stone for the upgradation of the 30-bed government hospital into a 100-bed hospital at Korutla in Jagtial district on Thursday.
The minister was accompanied by welfare minister Koppula Eshwar, Korutla MLA K. Vidyasagar Rao and ZP chairperson D. Vasantha. They also inaugurated a dialysis centre in Korutla, a basti davakhana in Hajipur and a 30-bed health centre at Metpally on the day.
Harish Rao said before the formation of Telangana, there used to be just 200 deliveries at the government hospital in Metpally. But now the number of deliveries has gone up to 2,000. However, he pointed out that around 73 percent of deliveries are through C-sections. “This trend must be reversed in the coming days,” he underlined, pointing out that 70 percent of deliveries in developed countries are natural.
Further, the health minister pointed out that newborns must be breastfed by the mother within the first hour, so that babies are healthier. He underlined that currently, only 33 percent of mothers are feeding their babies with colostrum in the first hour. He asked health officials to take necessary steps for increasing normal deliveries and breastfeeding within the first hour at Metpally, Korutla, Raikal and Kalleda government hospitals.
The health minister said two new medical colleges have been inaugurated, and two more will start functioning from the next academic year. Around 950 doctors have been appointed in various hospitals across the state, 90 of them in united Karimnagar district, he stated.
Harish Rao said six urban hospitals have been allotted to Jagtial district of which three are already functioning. Very soon, ANM sub-centres will be upgraded into rural hospitals, he assured.
The minister maintained that before formation of Telangana, there had been only three dialysis centres. But now, there are 122 such centres at various government hospitals across the state. ICU beds in government hospitals have also increased from 200 to 6,000.
