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Community Mothers demand Action from Government.
11 November, New Delhi: India is hosting a high level meeting of partners for maternal, newborn and child health attended by high level representation from 40 countries. The President of India, will inaugurate the high-level event and other dignitaries including the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi are likely to address the meeting. Invited plenary speakers include: Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations; Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi ( and Chair of the African Union in 2010); Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and Executive Director of UN Women, among others. In order to press upon the government to convert their pledges into action Save the Children and partners across Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar and Maharashtra are mobilising community members leading to charter of demands being sent to the Prime Minister’s office. Range of activities including public hearings, postcard campaign, marathon, awareness camps will contribute to the process. We are targettting a total of over 150000 postcards which will reach the Prime Minister’s office in advance of the high level meeting in Delhi. Additionally, there is an online petition where people can sign up in support.
In Delhi, Save the Children and its partners mobilized 400 community members from some of the poorest communities of Delhi to come together and voice their heart wrenching experiences. They presented the lack of healthcare for children and mothers, before an esteemed panel, comprising of members of the Planning Commission Dr. Sayeda Hameed, Mr. NK Sethi, Dr. Ashok Arora, Supreme Court Advocate, Dr Vandana Prasad of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Dr. Rajiv Tandon newborn and child health expert from Save the Children and Dr. Bharti Sharma Ex Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee.
Member Planning Commission, Dr Sayeda Hameed stated, “Everyone applauded the success of the commonwealth games, but here is the real India for you. It is ppalling to see the state of healthcare delivery in a city like Delhi, where amenities do not reach the people who deserve it, there is no proper sanitation and hygiene provisions and above all mothers are not dealt with dignity. Such is the state in the capital city of India, leave alone the rural India.” She emotively said that when working on plans, what often gets overlooked is that these issues are about real people.
In her concluding remarks, Dr Sayeda Hameed also assured immediate personal attention to the cases presented at the hearing, while committing to look into the issue of maternal and child health in the upcoming five year plans.Twelve mothers and community members presented their case before the panel.
The audience fell into silence after one mother, Munni Devi took to the stage. She spoke about the time her child had a fever. Like any other concerned mother she rushed her child to a Government hospital and was was asked to pay for her medicines but couldn’t afford them. Later that night her child died. She fought back tears and asked ‘why we do we have government hospitals if they do not help the poor?’
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News Releases Community mothers demand action from government
News Releases Community mothers demand action from government
