Maternal Health Centers - Community Services Program

Rockflower Commitment: Fund the construction of a permanent maternal health center in Chiran.
Location: Union Council Said Pur, Muzzafarabad

The Union Council of Said Pur consists of 18 villages with 2770 households and a population of 28,090. It is located in an extremely mountainous and hilly region of Pakistani administered Kashmir. The highest peaks of Baan, Makra and Jubsir are some 12,330 feet above sea level. It is extremely hot in summer and very cold in the winter, with consistent and severe snow fall. The majority of people make a living from farming whilst others adopt skilled and unskilled laboring jobs in the cities of Pakistan.

There is a great deal of unemployment amongst the young people and more than 70% of people are living below the poverty line, with only a 43% literacy rate. The status of maternal and child health is poor in UC Said Pur. An estimated 15 women die each year due to pregnancy related causes.

Up until December 2015 there was no facility for women to access basic health care during pregnancy, as well as no access to a single labor and delivery room or a female gynecologist.  Deliveries are carried out by Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA’s). In the case of an emergency, women have had to travel for three to four hours by jeep on very difficult roads.  There have been many cases in which pregnant women have died before reaching the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Muzaffarabad, AJ&K.

Rockflower is in an ongoing partnership with Community Services Pakistan (CSP) to establish maternal health facilities in some of the most remote surrounding villages of Muzaffarabad.  An initial investment in December 2015, provided a temporary health center in Chiran, UC Said Pur which enabled women in the area to access maternal health assistance for the first time. We have since  expanded the mandate to build a permanent facility that will serve the remote 18 villages in the Union Council of Said Pur.

These are some of the results of this initial investment:

• 28 deliveries were conducted successfully
• 8 pregnancies with complications were referred to CMH Muzaffarabad
• 5 antenatal/post natal care camps were organized reaching 273 women
• 931 general patients (mostly children under 5 years) were checked and 31 referred to CMH
• 69 mothers had access to basic education through a 3 month adult literacy course

Whilst this is excellent progress, a great more needs to be done to expand on these services. By enhancing the facility and the expanding services, more than 27,000 people will benefit directly.  Mothers need to have access to a complete health care plan that will allow for easy access to the center and ensure they will not have to bear the traveling expenses to the Combined Military Hospital. 

The new facility will have five rooms with three community mid wives and two helpers. Through the coordination of CSP with the local Health Management Committee of Chiran and the local government of AJ&K, they will be creating an opportunity for self sufficiency and sustainability of the health center for future generations.

ABOUT COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAM - PAKISTAN

Rockflower's relationship with CSP began over twelve years ago after the devastating earthquake in 2005. Formerly registered in 2007, Community Services Program (CSP) is working throughout AJ&K and in other areas of Punjab. Their focus is on maternal health, gender equality, poverty alleviation, water and sanitation, primary education, agriculture, advocacy, livelihoods, human rights and emergency relief and rehabilitation.

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