The Maternal and Child Health Services in India: A Study of Public Health

Palani Murugesan

Palani Murugesan Senior Research Associate

Keywords: Maternal, Child Health Services

Abstract

The health of the mother and child constitutes one of the most serious health problems affecting the community, particularly in the developing countries like India. To alleviate this problem Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services have seen a spectrum of changes dating from antiquity to the most recent development of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) . Promotion of maternal and child health has been one of its most important aspects. But any programme, however, relevant its components are likely to fail unless it succeeds in improving the knowledge and achieving satisfaction of its patients. The assessment of patient satisfaction measurement has become an administrative and a practical reality. Maternal and Child Health has remained an integral part of the Family Welfare Programmes in India. The National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-06) provides enormous data related to Maternal and Child Health (MCH) care- antenatal, delivery and post natal care for the women while for child care variables like child immunization-use of BCG, DPT 1 to 3 and Polio 1-3 etc. are available. The present paper therefore aims to provide the prevailing situation regarding reach and utilization of the MCH services in India as well as among the different states. It was observed that in India around 77 percent women received antenatal care for their most resent birth doing the five years presiding the survey. Interestingly the rate of increase was higher in rural area as compared with urban areas. State-wise variations were noticed with regard reach and utilization of antenatal care services. Further, highest cases of safe delivery assisted by health personnel were found for the state of Tamil Nadu (91 percent) and lowest for Nagaland (12 percent). With regard to child care services percentage values obtained for fully vaccinated children range from 81 percent from Tamil Nadu and 21 percent for Nagaland. Besides providing state wise comparative picture with regard to MCH services the paper intends do discus factors affecting utilization of MCH services among the regions of the country by using logistic regression analysis. In addition attempt would be made to discus some of the plausible reasons for the variation in the utilization of MCH services. To sum up, the study effort was made to give an overview of satisfaction receiving some services of maternal and child health from health care providers. In this perspective, the degree of satisfaction was closely related to the services given, recipients’ perception on care providers. Some services which required to be given once or twice irrespective of number of visits either in ANC (e.g. TT immunization) or in PNC had better scoring. The deficiency that remained might be overcome by generating awareness among the community by holding mothers’ meetings and extensive IEC programme, inviting opinions and suggestions from the recipients and encouraging enhanced community participation.

Author Biography

Palani Murugesan, Senior Research Associate

Department of Fertility Studies

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS),

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