INTRODUCTION Many health indicators have dropped sharply over the last two decades but there has been no significant reduction in rates and ratios of maternal mortality in many states of India, including West Bengal. India alone accounts for 25% of such deaths worldwide (1,2). Reduction in the number of maternal deaths requires, besides essential obstetric care, timely access to effective, affordable, and appropriate emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services when complications arise. Universally, EmOC has broadly been categorized into two groups--basic and comprehensive--based on the performance of certain signal functions (3). Basic EmOC includes administration of injectable antibiotics, oxytocics, and sedatives/anti-convulsants, performance of manual removal of placenta, removal of retained products, and assisted vaginal delivery. In addition to these six signal functions, comprehensive EmOC also includes blood transfusion and caesarean section (3).
