Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Schemes
Why in News?
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the nationwide celebrations to commemorate “10 Years of PMSMA – A Decade of Care”.
- Aim – To provide fixed-day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month, particularly during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
- Launch – On 9th June 2016
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- Objective – To address the critical need for standardised maternal healthcare services and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates across the country.
- Implementation – By the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, through the National Health Mission at state and district levels.
- Coverage – Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, District Hospitals, and urban health facilities.
- The applications are accepted both online through the PMSMA portal and offline at designated government health facilities.
- Eligibility
- The applicant must be a pregnant woman in the 2nd or 3rd trimester.
- Must be an Indian citizen residing in India.
- Willing to visit designated government health facilities on the 9th of every month.
Key Features
- Monthly antenatal checkups on the 9th of every month at public health facilities.
- Services provided by Obstetrics & Gynaecology specialists, radiologists and physicians, with private sector support.
- Minimum package for every woman, like essential investigations (including 2nd trimester ultrasound), iron folic acid tablets, calcium supplements, and other prescribed medicines.
- Single window system for all streamlined investigations and medicine distribution.
- Special focus on
- Unregistered or missed antenatal care women
- Dropouts
- High-risk pregnancies
- Distribution of Mother and Child Protection Cards and safe motherhood booklets.
- High-risk pregnancy identification via stickers
- Green sticker (no risk)
- Red sticker (high risk)
- Use mobile app and web portal to locate nearest PMSMA facility.
- Significance – PMSMA is a vital pillar of the Government’s Continuum of Care approach under the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy.
- It focuses on improving the quality, coverage, diagnostics, and counselling of antenatal care (ANC).
Reference
PIB | Nationwide Celebrations Marking a Decade of PMSMA
