Discourse on safe delivery

As Bangladesh aims to increase the number of skilled birth attendants, experts say quality should be ensured so that women get their services.

More than 7,500 skilled birth attendants (CSBA) are currently working at communities across Bangladesh, but they assist less than 1 percent of the total births.

At least 67 percent women deliver child at home at the hands of unskilled persons, resulting in post-delivery complications and deaths. More than 7,000 women die every year while giving birth.

Experts at a panel discussion of the USAID supported Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) on Friday said CSBAs involvement should be increased at community level.

People have to know that the service is available for them, said MCHIP Chief of Party Ishtiaq Mannan.

Panellists that also include doctors, policymakers and media personalities recommended that there should be proper monitoring of works of the skilled birth attendants to ensure their maximum utilization.

They also suggested developing a framework to monitor their quality of services.

Abu Jamil Faisel, country representative of EngenderHealth, however, said concerted approach from policymakers, service providers and people would be needed for a sustainable quality framework.

As surgical deliveries contribute more than 60 percent of the only 29 percent facility births, Dr Md Sharif, a Director of the Directorate General of Family Planning said they have plans to increase births at facilities.

And for that, he said efforts were underway to strengthen rural facilities so that they can offer round the clock normal delivery services, a step that he believed could increase the number of births at the hand of skilled attendants.

But manpower remained a challenge.

Shehlina Ahmed, Health and Population Advisor of the UK development arm DFID, however, said resources would not be a big problem since the five year health, population and nutrition sector development programme was going on.

She suggested prioritising problems of the sector.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Joint Chief of Planning Niru Shamsun Nahar said the operational plans under the sector programme could be revised.

The government has also plans to train up 3000 midwives to be posted in health facilities by 2015 for attending normal births.