The Sampadak Express News Desk
Visakhapatnam District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore on Wednesday ordered tighter monitoring of high-risk pregnancies and faster referrals across the district after six maternal deaths were recorded between January and June 2026, according to The Hindu.
Reviewing the cases at a meeting of the District Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Committee at the Collectorate on October 21, 2026, the Collector told health officials to maintain comprehensive case histories for high-risk pregnancies and to ensure private hospitals promptly report such cases to district health authorities.
The six maternal deaths occurred within the limits of the New Gajuwaka, Bhavani Gardens, PM Palem and Balaji Nagar urban health centres, and the Gajuwaka and Sontyam primary health centres.
Kishore instructed medical officers to refer high-risk cases without delay to King George Hospital (KGH) or Victoria Government Hospital (VGH) in Visakhapatnam. He also directed teams to bolster antenatal care, detect hypertension early, and secure timely access to diagnostics, nutrition support and birth planning services.
District Medical and Health Officer P. Jagadeeswara Rao said medical officers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives would be held responsible for preventing further maternal deaths under the stepped-up oversight.
