The intervention came in response to a complaint filed by Dr K Pratibha, a senior official in the Health Department, highlighting the vulnerability of migrant labour families and the lack of awareness about institutional deliveries
Published Jun 25, 2025 | 9:54 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 25, 2025 | 9:54 PM
Pregnancy. Representative image.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has directed the Health Department to consider a petition which demanded to issue guidelines to ensure that pregnant women from other states give birth at government-approved health centers, following recent incidents of fatal home births in Kerala.
The intervention came in response to a complaint filed by Dr K Pratibha, a senior official in the Health Department, highlighting the vulnerability of migrant labour families and the lack of awareness about institutional deliveries.
In the petition, Prathibha highlighted that last week, in a tragic incident at Kizhakambalam in Kochi, twin babies of an Assam-native migrant woman died during a home birth.
The mother, in a critical condition, was later admitted to a hospital.
A similar incident was earlier reported from Thrissur, where a home-born infant died and the mother was hospitalized.
Citing these cases, Dr Pratibha urged for immediate steps to spread awareness among migrant communities and ensure safe institutional deliveries.
The CMO has forwarded the recommendation to the Director of Health Services for urgent action.
Authorities are expected to interevene, focusing on preventive healthcare, awareness drives, and support mechanisms for migrant families living across Kerala.
