Jaipur, July 24 -- Health minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar on Thursday reiterated that the state's maternal mortality rate (MMR) indicators remain better than national and international averages. He said, by national and international benchmarks, maternal deaths shouldn't exceed 86 per 100,000 live births. "We are well within this," he said. Khimsar conducted a surprise inspection of two major women's hospitals in Jaipur, the Sanganeri Gate Women's Hospital and Janana Hospital at Chandpole. During the visit, he inspected the new buildings and the OPD, IPD, and ICU facilities at both hospitals. "There has been an increase in maternal deaths over the past two months, but if the data for the entire year is considered, the state's position remains well within the national and international average," he said. During the inspection, he said seasonal diseases such as malaria and typhus often witness periodic spikes. Similarly, there has been an increase in the number of maternal cases over the past two months. htc...