KARACHI, Jan 10: A high-level of importance was attached, on Thursday, to the role of family physicians in monitoring the health of women in various reproductive phases and especially during pregnancy so that a large number of maternal deaths and morbidity in the country could be eliminated through early identification of risk factors and effective intervention.

At a clinical meeting on the “Delays of Pregnancy and Maternal Death’, held at the PMA House in collaboration with the College of Family Medicine Pakistan, it was felt that as family physicians were often the first ones to attend to family health and emergencies it was important that they were also trained to recognise pregnancy- related complications and emergencies.

Dr Aziza Kapadia of Qatar Hospital, Orangi, said that family physicians providing primary health care to the people were the backbone of our health system and their inclusion in antenatal care could help reduce maternal deaths in the country.

She gave examples of abortion, ectopic pregnancy, antepartum haemorrhage and other obstetrical emergencies in which family physicians being primary health persons could direct a women to proper health facility.

Dr Nighat Shah of Murshid Hospital said that 90 per cent of maternal deaths were avoidable as pregnancy was not a disease. She said in Pakistan only 13 per cent deliveries took place in hospital while the rest of the babies were delivered at home by untrained traditional birth attendants who were responsible for majority of maternal deaths and morbidity.

Dr Shershah Syed of Civil Hospital Karachi said: “In Pakistan women are dying because of three delays. The first delay takes place in home as in most cases husbands and in-laws decide against it. The other delay occurs when a pregnant women is unable to reach emergency care for want of ambulance, roads or simply financial resources.The third delay is caused at hospital, where required facilities such as anaesthetist, gynaecologist, emergency staff, drugs other essential items are non-existent”.

He said that those three delays were the major cause of maternal deaths for which the community and the government should be willing to take joint initiative.

The meeting concluded with a question-answer session.