Photo credits: Chandra Kiran Katta
Migrant workers, particularly women working in brick kilns, are vulnerable, not least because of the lack of access to healthcare. Thanks to education projects run by Action Education in six Indian cities, pregnant migrant women and nursing mothers can now access health and nutrition services at their destination.
Ensuring safe childbirth for pregnant women employed in the brickworks
Lalitha Jhara, aged 20, was 7 months pregnant when she left the state of Odisha for the state of Telangana with her husband to work in a brickworks. Shortly after learning of her condition, the education facilitator from the "UDAAN" project implemented by Action Education registered her with the local community health worker. Since then, the agent has monitored her regularly. As delivery approached, Lalitha began to feel cramps and was transferred to the local hospital. When her blood pressure began to fluctuate, she was sent to the public maternity hospital in Hyderabad, where she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. health. Both mother and child are doing well.
"Due to our precarious financial situation, we were forced to migrate to work in brick kilns. At first, I was worried about my health because we were isolated. I only regained my confidence after the community health worker gave me advice and provided me with the necessary medical support. I realised that I had made the right decision by opting for an institutional birth after being transferred to a specialist hospital in Hyderabad following fluctuations in my blood pressure". Lalitha.
Lack of information, a major obstacle to migrant women's access to healthcare
Despite government initiatives to provide free services to pregnant women and sick newborns, migrant women working in brick factories are still at risk of not receiving adequate maternal health care at their destination. This is due to a lack of knowledge of health services This makes it difficult for community health workers to reach pregnant women.
Initiatives with slow but sure changes
"When we set up the site school For the children of migrant workers in the brick kilns, we contact the workers and community health workers, and share the list of pregnant women and nursing mothers on the site. Once registered, their health is regularly monitored and they are encouraged to give birth in a safe facility". Srinivas Vaddepally, project manager for the UDAAN initiative in Telangana.
Action Education, a leader in providing migrant women with access to health care in India
By developing effective links with government service providers, the project is able to provide access to health care services for these migrant populations. Action Education's initiatives for migrant workers in the cities of Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Patna in India have enabled 1,620 migrant women to give birth safely in public health facilities since 2014. A total of 2,374 pregnant women and nursing mothers have received a "child protection card" from the respective health departments of the destination states, which is essential for monitoring the health and well-being of mother and child.
Overall, Action Education's coordinated approach involving healthcare providers, brick kiln owners and government agencies has created safer and healthier environments for migrant women and their children.
Read more
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