The Union Territory of Puducherry has been honoured for ranking first among the Union Territories and third in the nation in the reduction of infant mortality rate (IMR) between 2014 and 2015.
K.V. Raman, director (Health), Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, in a statement said that at a national summit organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, on July 6 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the Union Territory of Puducherry was conferred with a “Certificate of Merit” and “Best Performance Award” for securing first rank for maximum reduction of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 2014 to 2015 among Union Territories – Sample Registration System (SRS).
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan presented the award to representatives of the health department. The Infant Mortality Rate in the Union Territory of Puducherry has been reduced from 22 infant deaths for 1,000 live births to 11 infant deaths for 1,000 live births in the last five years.
“By our effective, comprehensive, quality antenatal, intra-natal, prenatal, and postnatal care, in all the primary health centres, community health centres, district hospitals, especially Rajiv Gandhi Women and Children Hospital, medical college hospitals, we are able to achieve this goal. In the Union Territory of Puducherry, institutional deliveries are 99.9% and all the deliveries are conducted by skilled and qualified persons. Our aim is to reduce IMR to less than 9 by 2018,” he added.
