The Choithram Hospital and Research Centre (CHRC) and the government's Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital would be linked on-line with the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) for issuing birth and death certificates to the citizens.

This is the first time in the country that private and government hospitals would be connected to a local body and would be empowered to issue on-the-spot certificates. Similar links would be established in around 154 nursing homes and hospitals across Indore shortly.

The decision in this regard was taken at the conclusion of a national seminar on birth/death registration of cities with million-plus population here recently.

According to Registrar General of India G K Banthia, around 45 per cent of the births are not recorded in the country due to inactive hospital reporting and home deliveries, apart from other reasons. The Madhya Pradesh government has been asked to prepare a list of the medical institutions in the State and ensure that these reports are submitted promptly.

According to IMC's Chief Health Officer, Dr A K Pouranik, first steps in this direction will be taken by linking the MY Hospital on-line. The project involves the appointment of a sub-registrar who would be empowered to issue certificates at the hospital.

The IMC would shortly install two computers each at the CHRC and the MY Hospital. Around 33 per cent of births in the city are reported at the MY Hospital, said Dr Pouranik adding, there has been considerable delay on their part in conveying the information leading to unnecessary hassles for the parents.

With the start of the new facility, the parents, if required, can view the status of their application online, he maintained.

Meanwhile, the office of Registrar of India has instructed the Madhya Pradesh government to strictly ensure that maternal mortality, infant deaths and still births are reported without fail, even in the remotest areas. The health department would play a major role in this direction through the vast force of assistant nursing matrons, para-medical staff and doctors, said Banthia.

Also, the IMC has been instructed to keep a sharp vigil over the hospitals and nursing homes which fail to report births and deaths - as per the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. Severe penalties will be imposed in case such reports are not submitted, warned the Registrar General of India.