On Amruta’s advice, ambulance service for newborns renamed

NAGPUR: She was there to inaugurate the Mahila Arogya Abhiyaan (MAA), but Amruta Fadnavis, wife of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, ended up giving a new nomenclature to the improved version of the post-delivery drop vehicle for new mothers. Just before dedicating it to the public, she wondered by the name of the vehicle was Vatsalya Rugnavahika or ambulance. Seeing her point as valid, the deputy director of health services Dr Sanjay Jaiswal said the vehicle will be called Vatsalya Navjeevanvahika or carrier of new life.
On Thursday, the fortnight-long MAA was launched all across the state as a run-up to International Women’s Day. It was launched in city’s Daga Hospital for Women, too. Guests included superintendent of police Nagpur (rural) Aarti Singh, social worker Lalita Kumbhare and principal of Public Health Institute, Nagpur, Dr Padmaja Jogewar, medical superintendent of the hospital Dr RS Farooqui and deputy superintendent Dr Madhuri Thorat.
“The two new services that will start from today, the post delivery drop facility for all pregnant women and the skill lab, will help the hospital provide better service to patients,” said Dr Farooqui. Dr Thorat said the programmes to be held throughout the fortnight were designed with the aim of reducing the maternal and infant mortality rates in the state.
Dr Jogewar added that the authorities hoped that the awareness raised during the fortnight would become habits that would stick with participants for a longer time. “Maternal health starts with a girl’s adolescence. Nutrition and exercise form important parts of it. So, this is something every individual can work towards on their own,” she said.
Agreeing, Fadnavis pointed out how nutritional deficiencies like anaemia ruined a woman’s reproductive health. She also said price rise was affecting the health care sector the most with not many people being able to afford the services. This was especially true for rural and tribal areas, she added.
With shortage of skilled manpower, help of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Dental Association (IDA), Indian Academy of Paediatricians (IAP) and Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) was much appreciated, said Dr Jaiswal.