BHUBANESWAR: IN a bid to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) as well as Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the State, Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena has asked Gaon Kalyan Samitis (GKS) to support pregnant women in inaccessible villages to reach nearby hospitals for institutional delivery.
Stating that Odisha Government has launched Sishu Abong Matru Mrutyuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhiyan (SAMPurNA) to check both IMR and MMR in the State, Jena has sent separate letters to all Samitis urging them to extend a helping hand to pregnant women in hardship to reach villages where ambulance can not reach. “As many as 7,853 villages from 30 districts have been selected to be included in the SAMPurNA scheme this year. Since any ambulance or four wheeler can not reach these villages, pregnant women in such areas would be provided `1,000 each to reach hospital for delivery,” he said.
While these villages have been provided stretchers to carry pregnant women from their homes to the accessible points where ambulance or any vehicle can reach, the village development committees have been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the women have reached hospital safely.
“The women will get the transportation cost and Janani Suraksha assistance deposited in their respective bank accounts. The samitis have been asked to provide `1,000 as advance from their own fund. The women will refund the amount once they are paid,” the Minister wrote in the letter.
Since the credit for the achievement in reducing the IMR below the national average goes to all GKS, Jena said they should hold themselves accountable for failure of SAMPurNA scheme.
One of the nine institutional mechanisms under National Health Mission, the Village Health and Sanitation Committee has been GKS to broaden its scope to include all welfare and development programmes of the village.