in just 23 months, we have achieved 1.3 crore antenatal check-ups at 12,900 healthcare facilities across the country: J P Nadda

“In just 23 months, we have achieved 1.3 crore antenatal check-ups at 12,900 healthcare facilities across the country. And we also identified 6.5 lakh high-risk pregnancies.”  This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare while giving away the ‘IPledgefor9′ Achievers Awards to the individuals and teams of doctors from the private sector and States for their exemplary services, outstanding support of institutions and commitment from support partners in achieving the mission’s objectives of safe motherhood to every woman in the country, here today. Shri J P Nadda also conferred awards to the States that have shown an exemplary decline in MMR as per the recently released SRS data.

Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Smt Anupriya Patel, Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Vinod Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, Health Ministers from various states and Smt Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) along with Heads of FOGSI (Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists Society) and IMA (Indian Medical Association) were also present at the event.

Speaking at the function, Shri J P Nadda stated that our strength lies in the fact that whatever programme we take up it becomes the largest in the world and we have taken up those programmes which will have far reaching impacts. Shri Nadda further said that India has made substantial progress on several indicators in spite of its huge numbers and challenging topography. The Union Health Minister added that India has shown impressive gains with 22% reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) since 2013. “We must also appreciate that Uttar Pradesh with 30% decline has topped the chart in the reduction of maternal deaths,” he said.

Shri J P Nadda further said that providing quality services to over 2 crore pregnant women in India required amalgamation of far reaching vision, policy and implementation at the ground level. “One of our biggest achievements is that the program has been successful in reaching out to difficult and some of the remotest areas of the country. Of 1.3 crores medical check-ups conducted as part of the campaign, more than 25 lakh were in the high-priority districts identified by the Health ministry for focused attention,” Shri Nadda added.

Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said: I am happy to tell you that on the appeal of our Hon’ble Prime Minister doctors across the country have voluntarily come forward and supported the programme of saving lives of pregnant women. He further added that States joined this programme with equal vigour and Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and other states have been able to improve their MMR.

Smt Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said that constant innovations have been the hallmark of PMSMA. “In less than two years we started we have reached out to every pregnant woman and in these two years 1.3 crore ante-natal check-up have been conducted. We are encouraged with the results we have achieved,” she said. Smt Anupriya Patel congratulated all the stakeholders, especially frontline functionaries for their commendable work.

Shri Vinod Paul, Member, NITI Aayog said that reduction in MMR is remarkable and it’s absolutely phenomenal. “Some states have achieved three-fourth reduction. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand registered a huge decline. India succeeded in achieving MDG 4 and MDG 5. I congratulate all the stakeholders,” Shri Vinod Paul said.

Since its launch, over 1.30 crore antenatal checks ups have been conducted by public sector obstetrician- gynecologists and voluntary participation of over 5000 private and in rural, urban and hard to reach government health facilities. This has resulted in identifying more than 650,000 high risk pregnancies, considered to be a major contributor in preventable maternal deaths. Strengthening the mission’s objectives, around 13000 government healthcare facilities like PHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals are providing PMSMA services on 9th of every month. The mission is proving to be a successful scalable effort by government to facilitate positive engagement between public and private health care providers to achieve the SDG targets.

According to a special bulletin on “Maternal Mortality Ratio in India 2014-16” by Sample Registration System, the maternal mortality ratio has declined to 130 in 2014-16 from 167 in 2011-13. Furthering the gain, the government’s ambitious programme for improving maternal care, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) launched in 2016 is a mission in advancing India’s course of achieving Sustainable Development Goals for MMR below 70 by 2030.

Prime Minister of India in the 31st July 2016 episode of “Mann Ki Baat”, urged private sector doctors to dedicate 12 days in a year to safe motherhood and provide voluntary services under PMSMA on the 9th of every month. He envisaged that 9th of every month symbolizing 9 months of pregnancy should be dedicated to addressing gaps in maternal health services particularly in hard to reach and rural areas. The mission ensures that every pregnant woman registered under PMSMA receives free, comprehensive and quality antenatal care services in their second and third trimesters across India.

India has made impressive progress in reducing maternal deaths and achieving the targets of MDG 5. Nearly 1000 fewer women are now dying of pregnancy related complications each month as compared to 2013. The government’s efforts at improving access to maternal health services leading to increase in institutional births has significantly contributed to groundbreaking reduction in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by 22 percent from 2013 levels. Emphasis on mitigating the social determinants of maternal health like increase in girl’s education and reduction in child marriages are other enabling factors that contributed to this notable success.

Also present at the function were Dr. S. Venkatesh, DGHS, Health Secretaries of the States, Mission Directors (NHM), Representatives of development partners including UNICEF, USIAD, BMGF and WHO and other senior officers of the Ministry.