E. Kalimantan mothers ‘Lack Proper Care’

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SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Up to a fifth of all pregnant women in East Kalimantan do not have access to trained medical doctors, and give birth with the help of midwives or traditional healers who do not have medical training, an official says, Jakarta Globe reported.

Aswin, the provincial government’s general administration assistant, said on Monday that about 3,000 pregnant women, or 20 percent of expectant mothers in East Kalimantan, were still heavily reliant on untrained midwives or healers, known as dukun .

He said this was a major factor in the slow pace of progress to bring down the maternal mortality rate in the province.

The rate for 2012 is projected to be 112 deaths per 100,000 live births, down marginally from 114 in 2011 and 116 in 2010.

Despite the lack of medical professionals, the rate in the province is remarkable, considering that the national rate is 228 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

Under the United Nations-mandated Millennium Development Goals, the government is required to bring the figure down to 102 deaths per 100,000 births by 2015. That puts East Kalimantan within reach of attaining the MDG.

Aswin said public awareness about maternal health remained very poor across East Kalimantan, particularly in hinterland areas served by midwives and dukuns.

“That’s why we need to get the information out there, particularly to pregnant women. It’s crucial in bringing down the maternal mortality rate,” he said.