Safe pregnancy has been a much-discussed subject in this country, and a relevant one especially given the unfortunate prevalence of infant and maternal mortality. There is also a lack of awareness amidst a majority of the population regarding the necessary precautions and steps to follow during pregnancy, further adding to the problem.
Studies have found that every five minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy, and of the 5,29,000 maternal deaths occurring every year, 25.7% take place in India. Nearly half of these women, especially across rural sectors do not survive giving birth in their homes, while some of them die during transit to the nearest health facility due to the absence of sound emergency medical services or reliable mobile healthcare services.
Several such tragic mishaps can be avoided if awareness is created about safe pregnancy and essential medical facilities and services that have been made available to women in urban as well as rural areas across the country. This is where the role of Ziqitza Health Care Ltd. (ZHL) comes in. With efficiency, promptness, and reliance at our fore, we have been consistently striving to curb the issues of infant and maternal mortality by providing 24×7 transportation services all over India, free of cost.
As part of an MOU signed with several state governments, ZHL is committed to providing robust ambulance services, especially in Tier II cities and rural areas under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Programme initiated by the government to ensure the safety of women and children. The fact that we have successfully contributed to reducing the maternal and infant mortality ratio by helping lakhs of pregnant women over the last two years is the testament to the above.
With over 3100 ambulances, we take pride in the provision of robust emergency medical services and mobile healthcare services, as well as our well-grounded emergency medical technicians across various urban and rural belts of the country in order to provide pre-hospital care to pregnant women. In fact, such is the level of expertise of these technicians, that they have a proven history of helping with the delivery process in the ambulance itself in extreme scenarios, where there has been no time to take the pregnant patient to the hospital.
In addition to the above, helplines such as 102 and 108 have been made available to the public whereby pregnant women or their family members can avail these cost-free medical services for pre-hospital care and transfers during delivery to hospitals as well as the nearest healthcare facilities.
While these efficient emergency medical and mobile healthcare services are at the disposal of the masses to save the day, it is imperative for every pregnant woman as well as her family and loved ones to be aware of the following do’s and don’ts during pregnancy to ensure a safe and hassle-free delivery process:
- Refrain from any kind of mental or physical exertion and vices
- Abstain from the consumption of medication without sound consultancy
- Stay hydrated and avoid caffeine
- Most importantly, knowing when to reach out to the doctor or a relevant medical expert