Institutional improvement is needed to let all pregnant women
enjoy the same medical facilities, says an article in Beijing
News. The following is an excerpt:
Latest statistics show that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in
Guangdong Province is 20 per 100,000 births
but the MMR for the migrant population in the province is 40 per
100,000 births.
This phenomenon is not rare. In Beijing, the MMR was 7.9 per
100,000 births last year, equaling the level of developed
countries. But the rate for the migrant population was three to
five times that for people with permanent residence
registration.
Several factors have led to the higher MMR rate among the
migrant population.
These people are in the cities for a relatively short time and
most hold low-paid jobs. Their incomes are generally lower than
those of their urban counterparts with permanent residence
registration. The women face a hard life and some continue to work
while pregnant, increasing the risk of a miscarriage.
Only a few of the migrant population enjoy medical welfare. Fees
at public hospitals are set according to the income level of those
who qualify for welfare benefits. Many migrants are not able to pay
these fees and seek out cheaper hospitals.
Medical facilities at these hospitals are not up to standard,
hence the higher MMR.
City governments must do something to change the situation. The
MMR of the migrant population can be reduced if current regulations
are amended.
City governments should consider covering migrant pregnant women
in the urban medical welfare system or at least provide welfare for
them during their pregnancy. After all, to give birth to a baby is
of great significance to a family as well as the nation.
Women who have lived in a city for one or two years, for
example, should be able to enjoy medical welfare. It would not be
too much of a burden on the public purse. Of course, in the
long-term, there should be a unified welfare system to cover all
pregnant women in the country.
The government should consider this when establishing a
universal welfare system.
(China Daily September 6, 2007)