JAIPUR: By taking up various measures to provide quality services in government-run hospitals, the health department has achieved 77.82% of expected level of achievement (ELA) in institutional deliveries in 2013-14. The annual ELA in 2013-14 was 17.

64 lakh but the department officials managed to provide institutional deliveries in government and private hospitals to 13.73 lakh pregnant women, according to the annual report released by the health department. In 2013-14, as many as 13.

73 lakh women gave birth to babies in hospitals. The state government is encouraging institutional deliveries to reduce infant mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio. The department`s maternal health project director Dr R P Singh said, "We have strengthened our facilities for maternal care in government hospitals.

We aim to provide quality services and have improved our maternal and child health wards. Moreover labour rooms are being maintained properly. With our efforts, we have achieved 77.

82% ELA in institutional deliveries." He said ELA is determined scientifically to calculate the expected number of child births in a given year. The ELA was 17.

64 lakh child births in 2013-14. Additionally, introduction of 600 ambulances called 104 Janani Express has also become instrumental in taking women to hospitals for maternal care and child births. "We have 104 Janani Express service at block levels too, which provides transportation to pregnant women.

So, transportation is not a problem now," Dr Jain said. Over the years, the percentage of institutional deliveries has increased significantly. Recently, during the state level celebration of World Population Day, health minister Rajendra Rathore had said during 2005-06, the percentage of institutional deliveries was just 28.

But he said it has increased up to 81% now. The health department figures showed that in 2008-09, the ELA was 18.46 lakh but the institutional deliveries remained 11.

36 lakh which was 61.54%..

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