@the_news_21
Mumbai: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Maharashtra Health Wing has slammed the state government for 37 maternal deaths in the last one year, in Nandurbar district. The Aam Aadmi Party will be staging a dharna and protest on the issue.
The health infrastructure of Maharashtra has crumbled progressively over the years, with no signs of respite. The 37 maternal deaths in the last one year in Nandurbar district alone, demonstrates how the healthcare system in the state is reeling under poor health facilities.
Nandurbar district has witnessed a heavy toll of stillbirths and infant deaths till date. The two sanctioned women’s hospitals — one inside the premises of the Civic Hospital in Nandurbar taluka and another, in Dhadgaon taluka — exist only on paper. Several key posts in these hospitals have been lying vacant for years. With no specialists, they are often forced to turn away women in urgent need of medical care.
The AAP strongly condemns State apathy and callousness towards building and maintaining an efficient Healthcare system in Maharashtra.
“The criminal neglect of public health in Nandurbar – where sanctioned women’s hospitals are lying defunct, for years, leading to avoidable deaths of infants and mothers, is to be strongly condemned,” said Dr Santosh Karmarkar, Paediatric Surgeon, Mumbai and Convener of AAP Maharashtra’s Health Wing.
“I want to ask Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis – what are you celebrating in your Dussehra rallies? What victories have you achieved towards saving lives, by improving the healthcare available to our people in Maharashtra?” Dr Santosh Karmarkar said.
“Instead of proclamations of having cleared some pseudo-hurdles coming in the way of celebrating festivals, I would have been happy if you would have cleared the hurdles for increasing the Health Budget of Maharashtra to a respectable double-digit figure than a woeful 3.3%” he added.
The AAP Maharashtra and its Health Wing demand that the defunct Women’s Hospitals in Nandurbar be re-opened immediately and equipped fully within one month, with all facilities and adequate staff.
The AAP Maharashtra Health Wing also demands that the Public Health Budget for the State be raised to at least 10% of the State budget, without further delay.
Meanwhile, on October 9, a team of Doctors of AAP Maharashtra Health Wing, led by Dr Jaywant Mahale, Convener of North Maharashtra Region, will visit Nandurbar district, to conduct a Survey of the concerned Women’s Hospitals and evaluate the situation. The team will also speak with the residents, doctors and civil surgeons.
After the survey, the AAP Maharashtra Health Wing will submit a memorandum to the concerned authorities in Nandurbar and to the State Health Minister, regarding the urgent need to re-open and adequately equip both Women’s Hospitals. If the above demands are not met within a month, the AAP will hit the streets and organise a dharna and protest.
