Ignorance keeps maternal death rate high

Ignorance keeps maternal death rate high

Asip Agus Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Ignorance within society and among policymakers has contributed
to Indonesia maintaining it status as the country with the
highest maternal death rate in all of Southeast Asia, despite
more than two decades of child and mother health programs, a
newly installed professor says.

Speaking in his inauguration speech before the Gadjah Mada
University student senates, obstetrician and gynecologist
Djaswadi Dasuki said that the country's family planning program
was a result of government intervention that either failed to
overcome the core problem or missed the target.

"The high maternal mortality rate is not related to medical
capability or poor facilities, but the attitude and morals of
society, health administrators and the government, which makes
health policies," Djaswadi said.

The current maternal mortality rate in the country is
estimated at 200 to every 10,000 births, which is 10 times higher
than that of Malaysia.

Most of the deaths are caused by hemorrhaging, infection,
eclampsia and pre-eclampsia.

Djaswadi criticized the slow decision-making on the part of
the people, who should take a mother to the hospital when she was
about to give a birth.

He also said that government-sponsored training for midwives
and the provision of facilities for emergency deliveries were not
supported by policies that protected women's rights to healthy
reproduction. The policies include integrated, comprehensive and
accessible medical services for all.

Djaswadi suggested that the government introduce a national
health system that would help change the public's attitude toward
medical services.

"The aim of reproductive health services should be changed
from reducing to stopping maternal mortality," he said, adding
that a law and regulations that bind policymakers, medical
workers and patients themselves to protect the right to a clean
and safe delivery.

Recognition of the right to proper reproductive health would
not tolerate incompetent medical workers in the delivery room or
inadequate delivery facilities, Djaswadi said.

"The cost of medical services should be shared between the
government, medical service providers and society. The
government, therefore, should provide social insurance for the
poor," he said.