City moms flunk healthcare test

Moms in Mumbai have voted it to be among the worst cities in the country when it comes to their children’s healthcare needs. External factors like air, water and noise pollution appear to be the key contributors to the city’s poor performance.

The Lifebuoy Child Health Quotient survey was conducted among 2,876 mothers who have children in the age group of 4 to 12 years, across 17 state capitals of the country.

“The idea was to gauge the perception mothers have regarding the health of their children,” said Sudhanshu Vats, vice president, home care, Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

Frequency of minor and major illnesses, resistance to disease, weight loss and slow growth of their wards were rated by mothers as the top five concerns. Mothers also perceive nutritious food, pure water, hygiene habits, quality of education, and cleanliness of surroundings as the top five factors which contribute to the overall health of their children.

Moms in Lucknow and Kolkata are most satisfied with the health of their children, followed closely by Bangalore and Chandigarh, whereas Bhopal and Mumbai rank at the bottom, with the Child Health Quotient of just 90 and 67 respectively, which is way below the all-India base of 100.

Pune has fared better than Mumbai on all the parameters to appear on top of the list, with a satisfaction quotient of 104. However, when it comes to hygiene, Mumbai’s mothers have ranked their satisfaction at 87% compared to Pune moms’ 77%.