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| Millennium Development Goal No. 5 is related to improvement in Maternal Health. As per the MDG goal 6, Maternal Mortality ratio should be reduced to three quarters by 2015. Though Gujarat is industrially developed state MMR of Gujarat is quite high as compared to the states of Tamilnadu and Kerala whose per capita income is less than Gujarat. |
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| Under the Reproductive and Child Health Program II (RCH II) the major objectives to be achieved in the State of Gujarat by 2010 are as follows. |
| Reduction Maternal Mortality Ratio from 389 to less than 100 per 100,000 live births | | Reduction Total Fertility Rate from its present level of 3.0 to 2.1 | | Reduction Infant Mortality Rate from 53 (SRS 2004) to 30 per 1,000 live births. | |
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| The major causes contributing to maternal mortality are Hemorrhage, Eclampsia, Obstructed Labor, Sepsis and Unsafe abortion. These causes are also responsible for increasing Infant Mortality Rate. It was found that lack of ascess to specialist services by socially and economically backward section was one of the main reasons responsible for maternal mortality. |
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| The state of Gujarat has shortage of obstetricians for providing specialized obstetric services in Government Hospitals. Only 37% of the CHCs and FRUs are staffed with obstetricians. This shortage of obstetricians in government set up affects primarily the weaker section of the society who are availing the government health services. This section of the society is also the target group for reduction of MMR, as maximum maternal deaths are also reported in this group. |
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| On the other hand about 2000 Obstetricians are available in private sector. On understanding the limitation of public health facilities in reaching out to the weaker section of the population, the department of Health and Family Welfare- Gujarat, analyzed various options available. It was found that private sector involvement was the most acceptable option. This is also a model of Public Private Partnership (PPP). Accordingly, the Department initiated a scheme involving private sector specialists in providing services related to safe delivery, primarily for socio economically weaker sections. The Scheme is called the Chiranjivi Scheme. The scheme was launched on pilot basis in December 2005. To begin with, this scheme was made operational in five most underserved districts in the state namely Kutch, Banaskantha, Sarbarkantha, Panchamahal and Dahod. The major areas of these districts were remote with large tribal population. The beneficiaries under the scheme are the pregnant women from BPL families. |
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