Ashiq Hussain
SRINAGAR, May 22: Jammu and Kashmir has lowest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in India after national capital Delhi, reveal the national mortality survey by The Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journal.
While 47 infants out of every 1000 new-births die across the country, the rate in the state is at 42 deaths per 1000 births. The lowest infant mortality rate (IMR) in the country is in New Delhi at 30 infant deaths for every 1000 births.
The figures were revealed by Dr Muneer Masoodi, the newly appointed Medical Superintendent of GB Pant hospital in Srinagar, after uproar over the reports of a ‘surge in infant mortality rate’ at the hospital, Kashmir’s only neo-natal and pediatric health institution.
“In 1980’s the average IMR across the country was 120 while in Jammu and Kashmir it was 60. As of today the IMR in India is 47 and has come down to 42 in our state,” said Masoodi at GB Pant.
The doctor presented some comparative figures to illustrate the health of the hospital. “Infant mortality is a worldwide phenomenon and despite the advancement in medical care nobody has been able to bring it to zero. The finest of the health care across the world is in countries like Japan and the IMR in the country is around 8 per thousand births,” Masoodi said. “Despite the best of the efforts they are not able to bring it down,” he said.
According to health officials, over 380 infants have died in GB Pant hospital this year and the number of deaths in the year 2011 has been 895. For a children population of 40 lakh, the 140 bed hospital caters to an annual inflow of 30,000 patients besides thousands being treated in out patient department.
There are two main reasons for infant mortality rates in the Indian subcontinent – Infection and Malnutrition. “We receive 95 percent of patients from villages where mothers are mostly not well nourished during pregnancy. So the result is that most of the infants which reach this tertiary care hospital are in various stages of infection and malnutrition,” said Masoodi.
On Sunday local newspapers published banner headlines after five infants lost their lives on Saturday. “On Saturday 80 infants were admitted in the intensive care of the hospital. And we were able to save 75 of such cases,” Masoodi wanted media to acknowledge the positive side as well.
The Superintendent gave a detailed account of the cause of death of the five patients. “Despite the best of the Medicare, there are many situations and diseases when the medical science fails,” he said.
Masoodi informed various measures to keep the hospital tidy to prevent cross infections. “We are introducing gowns and shoe covers for attendants, number of nurses will increase besides addition of 30 more beds.
