KARACHI, Nov 16: Only 15,000 registered midwives are serving in 65,000 villages across the country leaving a large majority of local women to high risk of maternity-induced complications including mortality.

The secretary general of Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Shershah Syed, highlighted the fact in his presentation at the ongoing training course on “Obstetrical emergencies and teaching methodologies” for midwives. The four-day training programme has been organized by Sobhraj Maternity Hospital and the Unicef, said a press release issued on Wednesday.

The senior gynaecologist said absence of trained midwives, particularly in rural and remote areas, was alarming as there happened to be absolutely nil accessibility to any gynaecologist and even minor problem could turn serious causing morbidity and mortality.

He maintained that midwifery was an important component of health care system in any country and needed to be developed on modern lines. It should be streamlined by the government with the provision for regular training of women willing to take up the profession, he remarked, and added that the initiative taken by Sobhraj Maternity Hospital was appreciable.

He appealed to EDO Health to reactivate 40 of the total 46 maternity homes being managed by the city government.

EDO Health Dr Khalid Sheikh, who formally inaugurated training programme, suggested need for constant collaboration between Unicef and city government’s mother and child health centre for such events.

He expressed hope that the training provided to midwives would go a long way in reducing death rates as well as complications among mothers.

Sobhraj Maternity Hospital’s MS Dr Shabeen Naz Masood said the hospital had held five such training programmes this year. She requested to raise honorarium given to trainees enrolled with six maternity schools of the city government.—APP