Child mortality rate 127 in Dang

DANG, Aug 9: Figures show that Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the district is high. The district branch of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) showed that 127 babies out of every 1,000 live births die before the age of one in the district.



The rate is high in comparison to the national average, which is 64 babies per 1,000 births. [break]Concerned authorities have termed this a "fearful situation".



"This is a fearful situation and should be taken seriously," the chief of CBS in the district, Arun Gautam, said. According to him, rural areas are much affected due to illiteracy and lack of awareness. "People still are not aware, and health services are not available everywhere. So the IMR is alarming."



However, District Health Office (DHO) said that the figures are not reliable. It has stated that the data was old and the situation has improved significantly. "That rate was high, and we too were surprised. At present the infant mortality rate has decreased to around 48 to 50 in the district," the chief of District Public Health Office, Keshab Raj Pandit, said. DHO stated that despite the lack of records, regular research and reports point at reduced mortality. "Still there is no awareness and hospitals are yet to reach the public to a larger extent. However, there has been some improvement. We too will look into the data"

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