Hubs or centres near hospitals where pregnant women can stay for around a week before their due date must be set up to help reduce travel time and maternal deaths during childbirth, recommends a committee in its report tabled in Parliament today.

Such pre-delivery hubs where the women can be brought seven to 10 days ahead of expected date of delivery will also help bring down out-of-pocket expenses for poor families for hiring a vehicle to take the expectant mother to a far-off hospital, says the report titled "Women's Healthcare: Policy Options" by the parliamenrary panel on empowerment of women.According to the committee, such centres should be located near a hospital and must have skilled medical attendants.

"Easy transportation of expectant mothers to the nearest delivery points still remains an arduous task in view of difficult geographical terrains, lack of transportation facilities, natural calamities, security threats from insurgents ...that may have serious health complications for the women who are on the verge of delivering babies," as per the report.It adds that the concept of waiting hubs has been successfully implemented by the West Bengal government in remote areas like Sunderbans, Sandeshkhali, Gosaba, among others.

"The Committee recommends that the government start discussion with States/UT to build pre-delivery hubs preferably very close to the delivery points, where they can be brought in seven to 10 days of expected date of delivery and finally be move to the delivery points with the onset of labour," as per the 11th report of the panel.According to World Bank data, Maternal Mortality Rate in in 2015 was at 174 per 100,000 live births. In absolute numbers, nearly 45,000 mothers die due to causes related to childbirth every year, which accounts for 17 per cent of such deaths globally.