DENPASAR ~

Maternal Mortality Rate (AKI) in Bali from January to June 2015 reached 29 cases and 187 cases of child mortality, due to obstetric factors associated with pregnancy and non-obstetric.

“The causes of maternal mortality mostly due to non-obstetric factors or indirectly related to pregnancy,” said Head of Bali Provincial Health Office, dr. Ketut Suarjaya, in Denpasar on Friday.

He said the cause of maternal deaths due to non-obstetric factors like heart attack, hypertension, asphyxiate and other accompanying diseases, while obstetric factors or associated with pregnancy are bleeding, embolism, eclampsia.

As for the causes of high child mortality because newborns have lighter birth weight, other diseases like disability and others.

Suarjaya confirms for most cases are located in Buleleng Regency with nine cases, Badung (six), Denpasar (five), Karangasem (four), Jembrana and Klungkung (two) and Bangli (one).

“For cases of infant mortality since January to May 2015 there were in total 50 cases in Buleleng Regency, Karangasem (41), Tabanan (30), Gianyar (24), Jembrana (15), Bangli (11), Klungkung (9), Badung ( 7). As for the Denpasar there is no case,” he said.

To reduce maternal and child mortality, some steps are already taken by investigating every death to determine the cause of death and the follow-up to prevent recurrence.

In addition, services by additional strengthening of infrastructure in health centers located throughout the regencies to improve the public service in a comprehensive manner.

Then, by providing basic emergency of neonata obstetric care  (Poned)) can strengthen the hospital in serving the community.

“Human resource capacity also needs to be increased through trainings, management and networking systems strengthening and health care,” he said.

To that end, he appealed to people who are pregnant in order to carry out regular checks in health facilities to get adequate nutrition and birth should be done by health personnel.

The same thing was also expressed by Chairman of Regional Board of Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI) of Bali, Ni Ketut Arini Adi.

“To reduce infant mortality, we are continuing to provide guidance to midwives in villages,” she said.