Pregnant Women Routinely Referred to Higher Centres, Public Frustrated – Reforms Promised by July 25
Almora | Correspondent
The Obstetrics Department of Government Medical College Almora has come under fire from citizens and public representatives for routinely referring pregnant women to higher centres instead of providing adequate treatment locally. The rising number of such cases has left expectant mothers and their families distressed.
In response, a delegation led by Red Cross Society office-bearer Manoj Sanwal and Municipal Councillor Amit Sah Monu, along with over two dozen municipal councillors, approached the District Magistrate (DM) on Wednesday and submitted a formal memorandum, expressing serious concerns over the deteriorating condition of maternity services at the college.
The representatives alleged that the maternity unit of the medical college has virtually turned into a “referral centre,” where most cases are forwarded elsewhere without due medical intervention. They highlighted that this practice endangers the lives of pregnant women and imposes a heavy financial burden on poor and middle-income families who are forced to seek costly treatment in private hospitals.
Councillor Amit Sah Monu stated, “The government is investing crores in health infrastructure for the public, but the negligence of the medical college administration is forcing people to turn to private facilities. This is unacceptable and must change immediately.”
Manoj Sanwal added, “This issue affects the most vulnerable segments of our society. Being referred at the time of delivery causes severe mental and financial stress on families.”
Taking the issue seriously, the District Magistrate assured that necessary reforms would be implemented by July 25 following discussions with the Chief Medical Officer.
Those present during the meeting included Red Cross President Ashish Verma, Councillors Deep Joshi, Arjun Bisht, Vandana Verma, Anju Bisht, Asha Bisht, Rahul Joshi, Meera Mishra, Jyoti Sah, Poonam Tripathi, Neha Tamta, Sanjay Joshi, Abhishek Joshi, Shyam Pandey, Vijay Bhatt, Kapil Malhotra, Manoj Bhandari, and several others.
