Obstetric risk and obstetric care in central India

Abstract

This paper focuses on the obstetric risk and obstetric care in the Hindi-speaking belt of the country, i.e. central India. Central India accounts for nearly half the population of the Republic of India. In terms of social and economic development, Central India lags far behind the rest of India. The health and development scenario in central India is not only associated with the prevailing poverty conditions of the population but also with an orthodox society characterised by a strong caste and kinship structure. Maternal mortality ratio and the lifetime risk of a maternal death are the two indicators commonly used to measure the obstetric risk in women. The paper concludes that maternal mortality as well as lifetime risk of maternal death in central India is well above the national average. Thus, the findings imply that this part of the country shares the maximum burden of reproduction-related morbidity and mortality of women. Therefore, this also implies that reduction in maternal mortality and lifetime risk of maternal death in India as a whole depends largely upon the reduction in maternal mortality and lifetime risk of a maternal death in central India. The author suggests that by universalising the availability of obstetric care services, at the level of community at an affordable cost, may be a feasible strategy of addressing the obstetric care needs of the people.