Mumbai (The Hawk): The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY - April 2005), introduced by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritya Abhiyan (PMSMA - July 2016), started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have both made a significant impact on pregnant women in the nation since their inception.
According to an RTI response from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to renowned paediatrician Dr. Swapnil B. Mantri of Jalna, over 15.81 million women have benefited from the JSY, whereas only over 36 lakh have benefited from the more recent PMSMA.
The JSY includes a financial payment of Rs 6,000 each pregnancy, as well as prenatal, postpartum, and delivery medical care. ASHA employees act as the "link" between the government and expectant mothers.
On the other hand, every month on the ninth, the PMSMA provides comprehensive medical examinations to all expectant mothers at all government hospitals as well as all licenced private healthcare facilities in India.
According to official data, the two programmes successfully address India's shockingly high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), which was 556 women dying for every 100,000 live births in 1990, compared to the (at the time) global MMR of 385 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
With a large reduction of 70% (1990-2015) compared to the global decline of 44%, India's MMR fell to 167/lakh live births by 2013 from the world average MMR of 216/lakh live births in 2015.
According to Dr. Mantri, "The JSY has demonstrated tremendous success in 17 years with the MMR further declining - from 130/lakh in 2014 to just 97/lakh by 2020."
Under JSY, more than 25,000 "Delivery Points" in India received upgrades to their facilities, machinery, and human resources in addition to 102 various types of medical treatments and other comprehensive prenatal health solutions for future mothers.
In India, more than 17,000 public health facilities and another 19,215 recognised commercial centres, including approximately 7,000 that have voluntarily registered, have checked more than 37 lakh pregnant women under the PMSMA since 2016.
According to statistics cited by Dr. Mantri, there are over 70,000 documented hospitals in India (as of 2019), of which approximately 43,000 are operated by the private sector and the remaining 27,000 by various levels of the government.
Despite these incredible successes in the MMR arena, it is tragic that over 44,000 pregnant women still pass away from associated illnesses, and 6,60,000 infants continue to pass away in the nation within the first four weeks of birth.
The prompt treatment of high-risk variables including severe anaemia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, etc. could avert many of these pregnant women's deaths during their prenatal period, according to Dr. Mantri.
The doctor claimed that because private hospitals aren't registered for the PMSMA as often as they should be, especially in small towns and villages, "the true benefits don't reach pregnant women in the most distant places and subsequently affect the MMR and infant mortality risks."
Nearly 50% of lower-middle class women who spoke with IANS joyfully acknowledged receiving the JSY benefits (around Rs. 6,000) during their first pregnancy.
The majority unapologetically admitted receiving all essential medical exams under PMSMA even during the Covid epidemic, but several women who were pregnant a second time (including one with twins) said they received nothing (under JSY).
Dr. Mantri highlighted the need for a significant awareness campaign and a push to bring all private hospitals under the PMSMA's protection so that "the last pregnant lady" in the nation receives the proper care when she is in need.
(Inputs from Agencies)