CHENNAI: Where a woman lives continues to determine her access to care and level of risk, a study published in Discover Public Health revealed, exposing deep and uneven maternal health gaps across Tamil Nadu despite its strong public health record.
The study, conducted by Mohammad Suhail Meer and Ranganathan Sandhya of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, maps maternal healthcare utilisation using Geographic Information Systems and finds that risks remain sharply concentrated in specific districts.
Coastal and northeastern regions, including Chennai, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, emerged as persistent hotspots, marked by weaker antenatal care coverage, longer distances to healthcare facilities and higher socioeconomic vulnerability.
The findings underline a critical structural imbalance. Districts such as Vellore, Thanjavur and Dindigul showed higher healthcare accessibility risks, with gaps in institutional deliveries and antenatal services. In contrast, districts like Salem and Tiruchirappalli performed relatively better, pointing to uneven service delivery within the State.
The study flags a more troubling trend: in several districts, risks are compounded. Madurai, Nagapattinam and Erode were identified as high-vulnerability zones where poverty, low literacy and poor sanitation intersect with weak healthcare access, intensifying risks during pregnancy.
Seasonal stress further aggravates the situation. Maternal cases showed spikes during the southwest and northeast monsoon periods, particularly in May-June and December, suggesting that weather disruptions continue to delay or limit access to timely care.
Authors say the findings challenge the perception of uniform progress. "Tamil Nadu's overall indicators are strong, but district-level disparities remain significant and persistent," the authors said.
The study also points to the limits of infrastructure-led solutions. Expanding healthcare facilities alone, it notes, may not address entrenched inequalities driven by transport barriers, social conditions and environmental stress.
While based on hospital-level data, the research integrates Census and national survey datasets to validate district-level patterns, reinforcing the consistency of the disparities observed.
The use of GIS-based mapping allows precise identification of high-risk clusters, but the study stresses that targeted action is critical. Without district-specific strategies, the gaps are likely to persist.
The findings deliver a clear warning: maternal health risks in Tamil Nadu are not uniformly distributed, and progress at the State-level continues to mask vulnerable pockets where access, poverty and geography combine to place women at greater risk.