High mortality rate among women linked to ignorance
HYDERABAD: Speakers have said that three women die at the time of delivery every hour while 30,000 expire every year during delivery in Pakistan and linked this mortality rate to ignorance of people.
They termed it a tragedy in the 21st Century and stressed the need for creating awareness among people to save lives of expectant mothers.
Leaders of social welfare organisations, journalists and specialist doctors said Pakistan had signed various international agreements in this regard, but failed to take any practical steps.
They were speaking at a programme organised by two NGOs, HANDS (Health and Nutrition Development Society) and ‘We JournalistsÂ’ in the press club here on Saturday.Dr Lata said that Pakistani society did not give due importance to women.
She pointed out that due to malnutrition, expectant mothers lacked calcium in their bodies and in most cases, children were delivered through operations.
She strongly opposed young-age marriages, saying that a young girl could neither take care of herself nor of her child.
She said that in the past there used to be expert midwives in villages, but now even women doctors were not available because good doctors preferred to serve abroad due to inadequate facilities in the country.
A leader of ‘We Journalists’, Jafar Memon, linked high mortality rate to non-availability of doctors and proper food, and described shortage of these facilities as double murder and a flagrant violation of the human rights.
Journalist Mahesh Kumar stressed the need for launching a door-to-door campaign for creating awareness among people.
General secretary of the club Mohammad Ishaque Mangrio, Abdul Razzaq Umrani of HANDS and Iqbal Mallah also spoke on the occasion.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/25/2010
” 
” 
” 
” 
