Many women are deprived of institutional opportunities to give birth during covid. This information has been mentioned in the published report of Niti Aayog. The report said Bihar and Chandigarh have seen the biggest decline in institutional facilities.
A report titled ‘Nutrition Progress in India: A Nutrition Campaign in the Time of Covid’ found that many women did not receive any prenatal care during the Corona crisis. Statistics show that 53 lakh 48 thousand women received institutional facilities during childbirth from October to December 2020. Exactly one year ago, from October to December 2019, that number was 54 lakh 98 thousand. In terms of institutional facilities, there was no opportunity to give birth in government hospitals or health centers.
Details of the report
The NITI Aayog report also said that many women in the country did not receive post-natal care within two hours to fourteen days after giving birth. According to the statistics, between October and December 2020, 30 lakh 52 thousand women received post-natal care. A year before that, i.e., in the pre-coronavirus period, the number was 31 lakh 31000. The report of Niti Aayog mentioned that maternity facilities have decreased in 32 states and Union Territories of the country.
Among the major states, Kerala has spent most of the money the Center for nutrition campaigns allocated. At least 58% was spent by the southern state. At the very end of the list is Odisha. In Naveen Patnaik’s state, the expenditure on the campaign is only eight percent.
The Niti Aayog report also mentions the issue of human development in the field of health. It is said that 15 states have managed to fill up 75 percent of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) posts. Odisha is at the top in this regard. They have been able to fulfill one hundred percent in that position. States like Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Tripura are the most unfilled ANM posts. No statistics are available for Punjab.
Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and some states in the North-East have been told to give more importance to child immunization, and antenatal care in the report of Niti Aayog. Besides, Niti Aayog has suggested emphasizing the use of oral rehydration solutions in the treatment of diarrhea.
Nora questioned in a cheating case
After Jacqueline Fernandez in the financial embezzlement case, another Bollywood actress, Nora Fatehi, has been questioned by the police. The Delhi Police questioned Nora for four hours on Friday in connection with Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the main accused in the 200 crore rupees fraud case. Earlier, Sukesh and Nora were interrogated together by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. According to police sources, not only Jacqueline or Nora – the names of some other Bollywood actresses are coming up in that case.
Special Commissioner of the Crime Branch of Delhi Police Ravindra Singh Yadav said in this context, “Sukesh gave expensive gifts to many Bollywood actresses. We are investigating. That is why Nora Fatehi has been interrogated. Whether she is an accused or a witness will be known only after the investigation.”