MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

MATERNITY AND CHILD HEALTH

Maternity and Child Health: The then Government of Bombay undertook, in collaboration with the Government of India, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), a Maternal and Child Health Project during 1955. The Bureau for Maternal and Child Health established in the Directorate of Public Health continued to function satisfactorily during 1956, with a Woman Assistant Director, Public Health, in-charge. The scheme is still in operation in the State. The main functions of the Assistant Director, Public Health, are to popularise, guide, give expert advice and to serve as co-ordinating agency for the various maternal and child health activities in the State, both official as well as institutional.

Maternal and child health work in rural areas has been integrated with the primary health centres and public health units. The mid-wives are responsible for maternity and child health services, milk feeding scheme and ante-natal clinics. The dispensaries — Government as also Zilla Parishad—and S. M. P. Centres upgraded to the primary health units, have done yeoman's service to the public by way of provision of medical relief, maternity service and domiciliary mid-wifery service, holding of ante-natal and post-natal clinics for women, training of indigenous practising dais in septic procedure and non-interference and thereby help improving the mid-wifery service to the women-folk in the rural areas nearer their homes.

There are two maternity and child health centres, one each at Parner and Jamkhed, established in collaboration with the ' UNICEF ' and the World Health Organisation.

A combined medical and public health unit comprises an area of four to ten villages within a radius of three to five miles and having population of 8 to 10 thousand. Government has established such units in Rahuri, Kopargaon and Shrigonda talukas of the district.

Work done by the combined medical and public health units in the district is detailed in Table No. 13.

In addition to these centres in the district, maternity and child welfare service is also rendered by private institutions and municipalities. In 1951 there were three centres in Ahmadnagar city maintained by the Baby Welfare Centre and other voluntary associations. In 1954 there were eight maternity homes, one maternity ward and two hospitals in the district. Seven doctors, one nurse, five mid-wives and eleven trained dais were employed at these institutions to look after the patients.

Table No. 14 gives details about the maternity and child welfare centres, health visitors, mid-wives and trained dais in the district since 1951.

TABLE No. 13—WORK DONE BY THE COMBINED MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS

TABLE No. 13—contd.

TABLE No. 14—DETAILS ABOUT THE MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE CENTRES, ETC., IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT

Since the year 1950, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has been supplying milk powder which is meant for free distribution to expectant and nursing mothers and children. Priority is given to the rural areas where mal-nutrition is particularly rampant. The long-range feeding programme through hospitals and maternity child health centres is operated by the medical and public health department with the help of Civil Surgeon and District Health Officer at the district level. The long-range school feeding programme in schools is operated by the Director of Education and Director of Social Welfare through the Educational Inspector, Administrative Officer of the Zilla Parishad and Social Welfare Officer of the social welfare department at the district level.

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