caste discrimination in india

Caste discrimination is a serious issue in India and it continues to plague Indian mothers. Based on one 2007 study in six north Indian states, it found that 61 per cent of maternal deaths were among Dalits — as “untouchables” are now called — and the indigenous people known here as tribals, Human Rights Watch said. Those two communities are at the very bottom of India’s complex social ladder and are far more likely to live without equal access to jobs, education or health care.
In Uttar Pradesh, caste discrimination is an ingrained part of the medical system, doctors and activists say. Upper-caste health workers refuse to visit Dalit communities. This means that pregnant Dalit women do not get nutritional supplements and consultation with the professionals although the majority of them are anemic. Negligence of the disease can cause the fetus an increase risk of growth retardation, prematurity, intrauterine death, rupture of the amnion and infection. It can also cause cardiovascular symptoms, reduced physical and mental performance, reduced immune function, fatigue, reduced peripartal blood reserves and increased need for blood transfusion in the postpartum period to the mothers.
In addition, the curse of caste means that lower caste patients are often asked for bribes or favors just to get admitted to a hospital even in emergency cases. This can be seen from an egregious incident of discrimination in the Social exclusion rampant in India’s maternal health care.
“New Delhi: A husband rushed his pregnant wife, writhing in labor pain, on his bicycle to a government hospital in Rampur Maniharan block. A nurse there demanded a bribe of Rs 500 for admission to the hospital. They are not able to pay the bribe, thus, she was refused admission. The woman then delivered a dead baby outside the hospital gates. The husband and wife were dalits. Later, the hospital authorities tried to hush up the matter.”
From this incident, we can clearly see the severity of caste discrimination in India. We can also see that high rate of maternal mortality among women of lower caste is a reality in India and it is a serious healthcare issue they face.