Kohima, November 18 (MExN): Abhijit Sinha, Commissioner & Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare and Home Commissioner, Government of Nagaland on November 18 launched the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA), a mother and child intervention programme, at the conference hall of Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Kohima. A team from Vitamin Angels, a developmental partner which is providing Vitamin-A and Albendazole for children in the State, the CMOs, Medical Superintendents, DIOs, and the State UNICEF and UNDP team were present at the launch.
A DIPR report stated that Abhijit Sinha stressed on the importance of a healthy mother which will ultimately lead to a healthy child. He pointed out that despite all the efforts made from all aspects the figure of antenatal care is low in the country. Even though the figure of MMR, IMR and TFR are low in the State, he stated, “We need to stay consistent in keeping up the figures and also improving it further.” He also called upon the officials present to make efforts on combating the challenges of low Institutional Delivery figures in the State and suggested roping in the private doctors and hospitals. “Collective efforts should be made from both the side of medical practitioners and information disseminators on the successful implementation of the program and later when they are reviewed we should show that, Nagaland have done better than rest of the States,” Sinha added.
Delivering the vote of thanks, Dr. Thanghoi Lam, State Program Officer, National Health Mission, Nagaland pointed out that the most crucial population in a society is mother and child and expressed gratitude to developmental partners like Vitamin Angels, UNICEF and UNDP for their intervention in the State on mother and child health issue.
PMSMA is being launched in the country as a result of lack of quality Ante Natal Care (ANC) and detection of high risk pregnancies in the country. It aims to provide a fixed day, assured, comprehensive and quality ANC to a target group of all pregnant women in their 2nd and 3rd trimester by specialised health care personnel. The key feature of PMSMA is to focus on women who have not registered their pregnancy or drop outs. Special ANC in addition to routine ANCs will be provided to them. ASHAs and ANMs will prepare a line list of eligible women and mobilise them. Comprehensive assured services under PMSMA are - All applicable diagnostic services including one USG, screening for the applicable clinical conditions, appropriate management of any existing clinical condition such as anaemia, pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes etc.
MAA has been launched to re-emphasise on the importance of breastfeeding, which if followed, prevents 20% of newborn deaths, 13% of under-five death, results in 11 times lesser chance of diarrheal mortality, 15 times lesser chance of pneumonia related mortality. Breastfeeding also has benefit of raising I.Q, preventing non-communicable diseases, lesser hospital stay of newborns, maternal benefits (cancer prevention).
