The government is going to take a tough decision to ensure safe delivery of women and reduce maternal and child mortality in Tamil Nadu. According to the information received from the state health department, from now on, giving birth outside the home or any authorized medical institution will be considered a punishable offense. The state health minister, K.G. Arunraj, made this big announcement while discussing the demand for grants for the health department in the assembly. He said that the British-era ‘Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939’ is about 87 years old. To deal with the current health challenges and problems, this old law is being changed extensively and a new public health law is being brought in. In this new law, it is a legal offense to give birth at home.
Why was this tough step taken?
The main reason behind the government’s tough decision is a tragic incident that happened a few days ago. A 32-year-old woman, Sasikala, was in critical condition after giving birth at home in the Coimbatore and Tiruppur regions. According to reports, she delivered her baby at home with the help of her family after watching a YouTube video. However, her condition deteriorated due to excessive bleeding after delivery and she later died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The government has taken a tough stance on the increasing number of women who are giving birth at home, relying only on online videos or home methods without expert medical assistance.
Special amendment to be brought soon:
Health Secretary Daraz Ahmed has informed that since it is taking time to come up with a completely new law, a special amendment to the law will be brought soon in view of this serious problem, so that immediate action can be taken. The main objective of this government move is to bring maternal and newborn mortality to zero in the state and ensure that every delivery is performed only by trained health workers in hospitals.
