Patna, March 6: Come April, all healthcare facilities would observe a fixed day every week for antenatal check-up. The state health department has passed a directive on this.

Sources in Bihar Health Society said the step was being taken to curb the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the state with 2011 being observed as the Safe Motherhood Year. “Health sub-centres will observe the facility every Monday, while primary health centres and sub-divisional hospitals will observe the check-up every Thursday. The district headquarters and government medical colleges will organise this check-up every day,” said a senior BHS official.

He added that complete antenatal check-up involves a minimum of four visits to the doctor or nurse for assessing the progress of her pregnancy, intake of 100 tablets of iron and folic acid and administration of at least one dose of tetanus toxoid.

Officials said as the MMR in the state is 312 deaths per lakh live births — the second highest in the country — the state health department has decided to declare the year as Safe Motherhood Year and to adopt measures to improve upon the figures. The officials added that Year of Safe Motherhood would provide an opportunity to pace up the system, strengthening and addressing the gaps in infrastructure, trained human resources, supplies and routine health management information system.

“Behind every maternal death in the state, there is a web of multiple social, cultural and medical causes. The persistence of these causes leads to many more deaths and therefore, it is helpful to understand and address these causes. The deaths at homes, during transit and at the levels of facilities need to be investigated in detail. Therefore, in 2011, at least 50 per cent of maternal deaths would be investigated and analysed for corrective action at the local and higher levels,” the official added.