Hygiene shocker! Now, cleaners assist in delivering babies at maternity homes

Usha Devi's newborn came into the world a few hours after the Northern Grid collapsed for the first time early on Monday morning.

When Usha went into labour at the 14-bed municipality-run maternity home in Khichripur, East Delhi, late on Sunday night, a nurse who was assisted by a cleaning staff helped her deliver — in a room lit by candles.

The centre is one of the 30-odd maternity homes in the city, sponsored by the government as part of its Janani Suraksha Yojana programme to promote "institutional" deliveries. Most of these centres suffer from an appalling lack of facilities and staff.

"The labour room was dark and hot. I was in pain. I did not know that a nurse, not a doctor, was attending to me. She saved my life and my baby," Usha said.

When the Northern Grid failed a second time on Tuesday, the healthcare centre was once again without power. Usha and her child lay in the ward, where another expecting mother, Aarti, was writhing in labour pain.

Though not qualified, a cleaning staff administered her a drip.

"We have learnt a few things because of the perennial staff shortage. We help the nurses," she said.

The auxiliary nurse midwife agreed: "We have learned to work without doctors. The sweepers have become our assistants."

SORRY STATE

Delhi Health Minister Dr A K Walia said: "Most of these centres are managed by the civic agencies. We have been telling them to arrange for basic facilities like ultrasound machines."

These centres have been around for over a decade and were supposed to be open round-the-clock. But it has been alleged that doctors — some of who are posted under National Rural Health Mission — were seldom available at night.

"We have eight-hour shifts. If the doctor is on night duty, a nurse still has to manage the other shifts alone. Babies will not wait to be born at the hands of a doctor. There is acute shortage of doctors," a doctor at the Tri Nagar maternity home in North Delhi said.

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