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Women friendly hospital attracts more expectant mothers

MAHBUBA ZANNAT, back from Cox 's Bazar
The concept of women friendly hospital has become popular with different district Sadar hospitals and upazila health complexes as this initiative has encouraged more expectant mothers to come to hospitals for safe delivery.
S The District Sadar Hospital in Cox's Bazar, which was recognised as Women-Friendly Hospital (WFH) in May 2007, received some 878 pregnant women who underwent caesarean section last year. But the number of such patients was only 300 in 2006.
The number of patients having normal delivery has also increased to 540 last year from 250 in 2006 due to the government's specific initiative to bring more expectant mothers to health facilities, said the hospital authorities.
With the support of Unicef. the government has recognised seven district sadar hospitals and upazila health complexes as Women Friendly Hospitals to ensure safe motherhood.
Making the Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital a women friendly hospital has added a new dimension to the conventional healthcare service, with mothers and newborns receiving more services and support from trained nurses
and doctors. Emergency obstetric care is now available along with management of violence against women. There are Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Care corners and breastfeeding corners for mothers at the hospital.
"Doctors, nurses and ward boys have also changed their attitude towards pregnant women as they were given
special training. At the same time, tire hospital authorities are now inclined to prepare a gender-sensitive budget," said Dr Misbah Uddin Ahmed, resident medical officer and public health researcher of the hospital.
The hospital authorities have increased its budget for safe motherhood to 4 percent from 2.5 percent, he added.
"As women are less privileged in society and often face various obstacles to coming to hospital for treatment, particularly for their delivery, the Women Friendly Hospital initiative provides additional services to mothers," said Dr Munawar Sultana, consultant of the district sadar hospi tai.
"It also aims to address gender equity alongside qual-
ity service, emergency obstetric care, neonatal care and management of violence against women," said Dr Yeasmin Rahman, deputy programme mahager of Maternal and Child Health Programme of DGHS.
Records show that the situation has been improving in the district in the last two years, as the rate of delivery at home stood at 84.73 percent in 2008, which was 90 percent in 2001.
The maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) was 4.2 per thousand live births, which have come down to 3.2. Infant Mortality Ratio (1MR) has also decreased to 48 per thousand live births in 2008 from 62 in 2001, Civil Surgeon of Cox's Bazar Dr ABM Lutful Kabir said and termed it a major progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5.
If manpower can be increased, the authorities would be able to provide high quality services to mothers and newborns, Superintendent Dr Neza-muddin Hawladar said.
The number of outdoor patients has increased by 25 to 28 percent and the number of patients being admitted to the hospital is almost double the capacity of the hospital, but the number of staffs is too inadequate, he added.