55-year-old woman gives birth to 17th child, health department orders inquiry into incident

 

 

 

P P Cherian

Udaipur: A 55-year-old woman in Rajasthan's Udaipur district has become a hot topic of discussion after giving birth to her 17th child. This exposes the shortcomings in family planning schemes in the region. The health department has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

A woman named Rekha Kalbeliya from Jhadol village in Udaipur gave birth to her 17th child. Her family now has 24 members, including her 35-year-old son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Five children born before this had died. The family is currently in dire financial straits.

Rekha initially informed the hospital authorities that it was her fourth pregnancy. Later, it was found out that it was her 17th pregnancy. Doctors said that hiding health information would have put the mother's life at risk during delivery. Births at an advanced age are likely to cause major health problems.

The incident highlights the challenges in controlling the high fertility rate in tribal areas. Health department officials said that they will focus on creating more awareness among the people of the area about family planning and taking care of the health of mothers.