A happy moment turns into a grief…

This story narrates an incident which took place in a remote rural area of this country, two decades back. A woman had been in labor pain all night long. She was in deep pain, so exhausted that she could barely speak.

She started remembering the horrifying incidents she had heard all her life. Her cousin had died giving birth to her first child. And many others too.

The woman wondered whether her first child would perish in the womb. Will she and her baby would not make it.

But the god was merciful. Her husband could manage to carry the woman all the way in his bullock cart on a deeply rutted dirt road to the nearby government hospital. The woman survived giving birth to a beautiful daughter.

That tiny daughter has now grown into a woman and is now married. She also lives in a rural area. Her mind like her mother churns with fear. Will she be able to give birth to her baby safely?

Same is the situation with a large number of pregnant woman and her families in this country. The situation is witnessing a change during last few decades but still more needs to be done. A number of efforts are being taken by the government, but somewhere the pain continues.

The birth of a child, happiest moment for a family can be a tale of grief emerging from human greed and heartless part of the medical services in this country.

There are a number of reports highlighting how a woman gave birth to a child on street, turned down by a hospital to admit her following shortage of money or lack of medical facilities.

For a woman, delivering a child on public road is no less shameful and painful than rape.

The story of a poor woman of Birbhum district of West Bengal few years back tells us that not much has changed in this country. It also shows to what extent humanity can suffer.

Basanti a daily wage labourer was admitted in the Siuri district hospital where doctor asked her to get the scan report from his private hospital. This report was not a medical requirement but was asked simply to make money.

When the woman left hospital she underwent labour pain and gave birth to a child on street. As usual to complete the formalities the district magistrate ordered an enquiry and Human Rights Commission initiated a probe following public outcry.

Here an individual doctor can not be blamed. The whole country functions in the same rotten manner.

Imagine the physical and mental pain these woman have to face. Mind churning with fear, mental agony is at its height as the woman realises her child is getting born publicly.

Why has the government and other agencies failed in ensuring that every woman is able to give birth to a child safely? She or her family members are not shown the door for the lack of money?

The health system where government claims to have initiated a number of schemes for the expecting mothers, complications of child bearing and infants is being bogged down by corruption, lack of awareness and pathetic attitude for decades.

Such dishonest and heartless medical services should be checked by the concerned governments. But in a country where the primary medical services are being provided with an attitude to mint money, the dream would never turn into reality.

Installing discipline and purposeful health care system is need for the country where maternal and child health should be indeed given priority. It should not be based on files and reports but put to practical grounds.

Incentives to the doctors and medical staff can rope in more results.

Childbirth is a miracle of nature and as human beings we need to develop honestly run clinics and hospitals where the moment of birth of a child does not turn into a moment of sorrow and suffering.

Perhaps a time will come when we will be able to create such human marvels which will be managed by the government with the initiatives and changed mindset of the people of this country.

-Window To News Network