What happened
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has highlighted National Health Mission measures for maternal, neonatal, and child health. The measures focus on institutional delivery, free entitlement-based care in public facilities, antenatal risk detection, respectful maternity care, and postnatal follow-up.
Key schemes and service guarantees
Under the National Health Mission, the government has highlighted four linked interventions: Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), and Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN).
Janani Suraksha Yojana promotes institutional deliveries. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram provides free and cashless delivery care, including caesarean delivery, diagnostics, drugs, diet, transport, and blood transfusion in public health facilities, along with similar benefits for sick infants.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan provides free antenatal check-ups by specialists or medical officers on the 9th of every month, with emphasis on identification and management of high-risk pregnancies. SUMAN aims to ensure assured, dignified, respectful, and quality healthcare at no cost, with zero tolerance for denial of services to pregnant women and newborns.
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