Essay 02 – Safe Anesthesia: Right Of Every Mother And Child

Dr. Sachin Sadawarte

Consultant Anaesthesiologist, Nagpur

“Sir, can I get a leave for few days?” Asked my driver “as my wife needs hospitalisation for the delivery our baby” he finished in a single breath. I said “of course, you should be with her”.

But now with some hesitation on his face and in his voice, he continued “will it be very much painful and risky for her?”

I kept my hand on his shoulder saying “don’t worry, nowadays anaesthesia is very much advanced and safe. Just trust your doctors.” This conversation made me think , isn’t safe anaesthesia an absolutely fundamental right of every mother and child. In fact, proper Anaesthesia is central to maternal and neonatal care as lack of it, can lead to maternal mortality, birth trauma, neonatal asphyxia,long term physical and psychological trauma in absence of adequate pain control. Every mother and child, irrespective of geography or socio-economic status , deserves safe and respectful care. In fact, pregnant mothers often suffer and even die because of lack of resources. Pregnancy and childbirth can involve complex medical procedures like Caesarian sections, emergency surgeries, or interventions to manage complications like eclampsia haemorrhage or obstructed labour. This makes safety extremely vital for both mother and baby. Immediately after birth, first few days of the neonate are affected by circumstances of birth as improper anaesthesia care can lead to permanent neurological damage, increased risk of death.

Unfortunately, in many poor countries ,access to safe anaesthesia is still limited and the contributing factors are lack of trained Anesthesiologists ,inconsistent access to oxygen and essential medications, non availability of electricity and lack of standard monitoring equipments.

Although In India, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has significantly decreased from 130/lakh in 2014-16 to 88/lakh live births in 2020-22, government policies need to ensure quality perioperative care to reduce maternal and child mortality.

My driver’s concern and my thoughts probably attracted something good,as he came few days later with a broad smile on his face and sweets in his hands. Both his wife and his little baby girl who came in this world by painless Labor Analgesia were in the pink of health.