MATTER OF CONCERN

 

          Our country has succeeded in reducing the under five mortality by 62%, which is appreciable. It fell and brought joy that people are actually getting more aware but (the most dangerous word that which brings all joy to a question) doctors claim that the reason behind these deaths are preventable. And the reasons are nothing but hygiene, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malnutrition, etc.

          When we were lost in the world of Sheena Bora, an underweight girl of 2.1kg was born to Kanchan Devi, 20yrs who herself is malnourished with low haemoglobin and low weight as well, at Gorakhpur. Why I am giving the description is because there is a reason. Devi had already seen the death of her 2 children and this her 3^rd child. She was scared that she would lose the 3^rd child also.

          She had given birth to her previous two children by the traditional way. Yes the traditional way is still followed in many places even in cities where this self-proclaimed Dai-ma comes and does the delivery process. Now at this moment how do you expect hygiene, care and all. You don’t know the knife that she uses is proper, the needle, the string which is used to tie up the umbilical cord is bacteria free or not. Who checks them? No one! It is sceptical that this process could be a reason for those unnatural deaths of her children.

          Thanks to the government that they have torn health workers in every villages. And one similar health worker took weeks to convince Devi’s family to make her deliver at a hospital. The successful conniving resulted in the birth of the baby girl, though underweight, doctors claim that she is healthy.

          The step by government to encourage the families to deliver their child at a health centre or a hospital by paying them cash incentives is really nice effort to save children. As people are making use of such facilities, Government should not become negligible about the motive behind the formation of such facilities.

          Even to encourage the usage of folic acid to prevent the birth-disorders or birth-imbalances which are also major reasons causing deaths is very much thoughtful. For the same a national level awareness campaign ‘Go Folic’ is being launched in Mumbai.

          The point is that though we are at a progressing path, the discrimination part still remains a question. Because India still remaining a nation in the world where sexual inequality persists at a higher level which is quite visible even at the under five mortality rates are higher in girls when compared to boys.

          “Treating girls is simply not a priority in many families. Despite foeticide leading to skewed sex ratio where more boys are born then girls, data from UNICEF’s new born care units in India show only 40% of infants being brought in for treatment are girls” says Geeta Rao Gupta, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF. And she also rightly said that as the treatment is free of cost, lack of money is not a reason. It is just that they do it (not getting treated their girls) with their own choice, ultimately showing discrimination.

          These certain are the matters of concern and should be the cone of mainstream not just of experts or a certain number of people. The main focus of the Government should be on education and health, at least for development of nation if not for the sake of the children who die for no reason when they should be living their life to the fullest.