GUWAHATI, Jan 4 � The National Health Mission (NHM) has asked for line listing of pregnant women in all the relief camps of the violence affected districts of Assam with immediate effect and arrange for need-specific medical interventions.
The NHM has written to the deputy commissioners of the violence-hit districts to come up with the final list of pregnant women within a short time and arrange special steps to meet their medical needs.
Top NRHM sources told The Assam Tribune that it has already deployed additional numbers of doctors, laboratory technicians and pharmacists in the relief camps, besides 104 and 102 service vehicles to cater to the need of pregnant women as and when required.
The deputy commissioners concerned have also been asked to look into the medical needs of the pregnant women on priority basis and shift them to the hospital without any delay.
�As the affected women are mostly from Adivasi community, we might also take help of local ASHA workers to make them understand about the dos and don�ts in their local dialect,� sources said.
�Once the line listing is done, we will arrange for special medical sessions for the pregnant women that will also feature specially designed counselling sessions. As the impact was high, we cannot afford to take any risk,� informed a top NRHM official.
As per a rough estimate more than 1,000 pregnant women have been affected by the violence triggered by the NDFB(S) militants on December 23 and 24 last year in Sonitpur and BTAD areas.
The NHM has also released Rs 5 lakh cash to each violence affected district to meet up any contingency requirement of the relief camps.
The district administrations of both Sonitpur and Kokrajhar, the most affected districts, are in the final stage of lining up of the list of pregnant women and children below 16 years of age in all the relief camps.
Sources said that in Kokrajhar itself there are over 600 pregnant women, mostly from Adivasis community.
In Saralpara, one of the most populated relief camps in Kokrajhar medical teams have so far detected over 320 pregnancy cases.
The NRHM sources further informed that special medical and counselling sessions for the minors are being planned for the violence-affected children.
�Although, people are returning to their homes, the NHM would ensure that none is deprived from the necessary medical interventions,� the top NHM official added.
The violence triggered by the NDFB(S) has left nearly 80 dead, mostly women and children, besides rendering thousands homeless.
