The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced plans to celebrate a decade of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA). The celebrations will kick off with awareness and outreach activities nationwide, urging pregnant women and families to utilize the nine free services offered under PMSMA. These efforts aim to highlight the significance of timely and quality antenatal care.
The PMSME initiative stands as a cornerstone in India’s drive for safe pregnancies and maternal well-being. The launch event will be overseen by Union Health Minister JP Nadda. Minister Nadda will unveil a special Rs 75 Commemorative Coin and a Rs 5 Postal Stamp to mark the scheme’s decade-long impact.
Since its inception on June 9, 2016, PMSME has revolutionized maternal and neonatal healthcare by delivering free, comprehensive, and quality Antenatal Care (ANC) services to expectant mothers on the 9th of each month. The extended PMSMA strategy ensures top-notch ANC for pregnant women, particularly those at high risk, with personalized tracking until a safe delivery is achieved.
The ‘LaQshya’ program aims to enhance care quality in labor rooms and maternity operation theaters, ensuring that pregnant women experience respectful and quality care during delivery and postpartum. The Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative guarantees dignified, respectful, and cost-free healthcare for pregnant women and newborns at public health facilities, striving to eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions are entitled to free deliveries, including caesarean sections.
