Pregnant women in the rural belt of Kozhikode district will now have access to expert medical care and guidance, courtesy the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) being implemented at the community health centres in Kodenchery, Thiruvallur and Valayam, and the taluk hospital at Nadapuram from Wednesday onwards.
The project, being implemented to ensure the health of pregnant women, is also expected to help bring down maternal mortality rates and ensure safe delivery of the baby.
M.I. Shanavas, MP, will officially launch the project at the community health centre at Kodencheri at a function to be presided over by George M. Thomas, MLA. “The hospitals were chosen based on the patient profile there. There is a large tribal population here that is often deprived of expert medical care,” said District Medical Officer R.L. Saritha.
Special camps will be held as part of the project on the 9th of every month to provide necessary care for the pregnant women. The women will undergo one ultrasound scanning during their pregnancy term from three to nine months. They will also undergo all necessary lab tests.
Group counselling
They will be provided group counselling on nutrition, sleep, regular check-ups, delivery at hospital, breast feeding and contraception. Vehicles will be provided for those pregnant women who live in remote locations.
“Though malnutrition is a major issue in the tribal belt, there is no provision to provide right food under the project. Instead ,the pregnant women will be provided expert advice on the right diet,” Dr. Saritha added.
The beneficiaries of the project will be identified by a team of health workers, who will register them and give them the mother and child protection card (MCP) and safe motherhood booklet.
An important feature of the project is that even doctors in private hospitals will be part of it. Gynaecologists, physicians, radiologists and other health staff in the private sector willing to volunteer for the project may register themselves through the website, http://pmsma.nhp.gov.in/.
