Punjab strives to achieve zero home deliveries to stem maternal deaths
Punjab Health Department organises State level workshop on Maternal Death Review
Chandigarh, June 28, 2024:
To reduce the Maternal Mortality rate in the state, Punjab Health Department on Friday has organised one-day workshop on Maternal Death Review. District Health and Family Welfare Officers, SMOs and Gynaecologists of all districts participated in the workshop.
It is pertinent to mention that Punjab has improved its indicator of maternal mortality in the past but still it remains a significant challenge, and each maternal death is a tragic loss that affects families and communities deeply.
In her inaugural address Director Health and Family Welfare Dr. Hitinder Kaur directed the health officials to regularly conduct meetings of all SMOs, MOs, CHOs and Female Health Supervisors, who in turn should take up the issue with the Health Workers to generate an impact upto the grassroot level. She laid emphasis on early identification of complications timely referral and pre-referral information to higher centres.
Dr. Hitinder Kaur instructed the District Health Officials for line listing of High-Risk Pregnant women and to make random phone calls to them for taking their feedback and enquiring about their well-being during the gestation period. This action on part of senior officers will ensure delivery of health services entitled to a pregnant woman and any negligence in this regard can be easily identified.
Secretary Health cum MD NHM, Punjab Dr Abhinav Trikha exhorted the officials to do the data analysis and identify the macro problems responsible for the maternal deaths in their area. He stressed that maternal mortality is a pressing concern, underscoring our collective responsibility to ensure every mother receives the care she deserves. He also made an appeal to all the officers to stay abreast with the latest technology to do the gap analysis.
Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Ajoy Sharma joined the workshop through video conferencing. He highlighted that many maternal deaths are preventable with timely intervention and there is a need to be more vigilant. He urged all Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) and nodal officers of maternal health to supervise and ensure the quality of free services being provided. He instructed all districts civil surgeons to ensure that Community Health Officers (CHOs) and Aam Aadmi Clinics are being fully utilized to maximize their impact and ensure tracking of all high risk cases and mandatory follow up of all such cases to reduce Maternal mortality in Punjab. He added that regular monitoring of maternal health indicators allows us to continually refine our interventions.
During the workshop, Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Ajoy Sharma, along with DHS Dr. Hitinder Kaur, also conducted a detailed review of the maternal deaths in Punjab. They were joined by Professor Dr. Satinder, Professor, Gynaecologist from GMCH Patiala, and Professor Dr. Seema Grover, Head of the Department at GMCH Faridkot. The session also saw participation from Civil Surgeons from all districts, via video conferencing and all workshop attendees.
Director NHM, Dr. Tarsem Singh, Deputy Director (MCH), Dr. Nidhi Kaushal, along with Professor of Gynaecology at GMCH Patiala, Dr. Satinder, Professor and HoD at GMCH Faridkot, Dr. Seema Grover and State Program Officer (MCH), Dr. Inderdeep Kaur, were among the prominent attendees at the workshop.
Free Health Services and other benefits provided to Pregnant women
* Under Janani Suraksha Yojana each woman is provided with 600/- rupees in urban areas and 700/- rupees in rural areas.
* Free normal delivery, c-section, drugs, diagnostics, blood, nutritional diet for three days to the woman in case of normal delivery and for seven days in case of c-section.
* Quality free of cost antenatal, Intranatal and Postnatal care.