Don't ignore pregnant women, says health ministry

NEW DELHI, May 27: The Health Ministry on Wednesday issued a 3-page guidelines, stressing that critical services for pregnant women, children and adolescent should be provided irrespective of their COVID status and under no circumstances should there be a denial of essential services.
It says with more than 2.5 crore pregnancies each year in the country, it is important to ensure availability of services during this period of the Coronavirus as any denial of services can impact maternal and newborn mortalities, morbidities as well as the health care costs.
Noting that the unwanted pregnancies have negative impact, it says the regulating fertility is a necessity, the need to enhance provision of safe abortion services besides post-partum and post abortion contraception.
The ministry says India has the largest adolescent and youth population and as such in addition to current priority for the health facilities and the health workers, it is also vital that the essential health services for this vulnerable population are continued during the pandemic.