Goa is slowly becoming a much more safer place for newborns, as evidenced by statistics in the National Family Health Survey 4. The survey NFHS-4 shows an increase in maternity and delivery conditions in institutional births. It also shows a much more nourished and healthy child population.
The infant mortality rate has dropped to 13 per 1000 births from an earlier figure of 15. This coupled with a 92.3 percent institutional birth rate and drop in home deliveries meant that more people were choosing hospitals, putting their faith in healthcare. It also proved that the state’s network of healthcare facilities were easily accessible. There was also a rise in immunization stats, showing that 88.4 percent of children received all their required doses. Interestingly, 90 percent of these children were from the rural sector.
The stats are enough to show that Goa’s healthcare facilities are certainly improving, leading more people in rural areas to put their faith in the system. It also indicates that there is enough awareness about health programmes, so that rural families can ensure their children are well nourished and not prone to disease. This bodes well for Goa.
