Over half Tibetan pregnant women give birth at hospital

Over half of Tibetan pregnant women give birth at hospital, drastically reducing the mortality rate of pregnant women and infants, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The hospital delivery rate has increased to 53.57%, according to the data issued by the regional Health Department.

Hospitals have professional doctors, experienced midwives, strictly-sterilized delivery rooms and defined equipment, guarding lying-in women and new-born babies against infection to ensure their safety. As a result, more and more people choose to give birth at hospital.

At present, the mortality rate of lying-in women has dropped below 1.75 ‰ and that of new-born babies to 20.69‰ from 5% and 430‰ respectively in the early years after the peaceful liberation of Tibet (1951).

"Tibet has established maternal & child health hospitals at prefectural (city) and county levels, and it will build a regional one this year," said Phurbu Drolma, director-general of Tibet Health Department.

As a key project of the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), it's presently at the first stage, such as land location, added Phurbu Drolma.

Tibet worked out a series of favorable policies and measures to encourage rural pregnant women to give birth at hospital.

According to a health care regulation, all the expenses of hospital delivery can be reimbursed in rural Tibet, every pregnant woman and escort can get 30 yuan and 20 yuan respectively as well as a suite of baby clothes as rewards, and their family can receive a subsidy of 100-500 yuan based on their economic condition and the delivery.

Now Tibet equips every township with four medical staff members and one village with two doctors, effectively settling the medical staff shortages in Tibetan townships, said Phurbu Drolma.

The immunity of pregnant women and children is listed into the top tasks of the rural doctors and nurses.

So far, medical care institutions at various levels have strengthened the improvement of gynecology and obstetrics departments, and the sound child rearing work has been promoted in Tibetan counties and townships.

From Tibetnews